LONDON (AP) — A lawyer for convicted British killer nurse Lucy Letby announced plans to seek a re-examination of her convictions by an appeals court following a significant development in the case. The prosecution's key expert, Dr. Dewi Evans, altered his opinion on the cause of death of three infants, prompting questions about the reliability of his testimony.
The defense attorney, Mark McDonald, revealed that fresh evidence has emerged casting doubt on Letby's convictions. McDonald asserted that Dr. Evans, who previously claimed Letby injected air down a nasal gastric tube resulting in the infants' deaths, is now considered an unreliable expert. This shift in expert opinion raises concerns about the safety of all the convictions.
Letby, 34, is currently serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of release after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others during her tenure as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwestern England between June 2015 and June 2016.
The prosecution alleged that Letby employed methods that left minimal evidence, including injecting air into the infants' bloodstreams, administering air or milk through nasogastric tubes, insulin poisoning, and tampering with breathing tubes. Prosecutors portrayed her as a sinister figure who was often the sole caregiver in the neonatal unit when the infants fell ill or passed away.
Despite the convictions, Letby has consistently maintained her innocence, testifying at two trials that she never harmed any child. McDonald disclosed that 15 medical experts are currently reviewing the trial evidence to support the defense's case.
An ongoing inquiry is investigating the hospital's failures to identify the reasons behind the infant deaths and the delayed intervention in stopping Letby. The inquiry, initiated in September, has attracted attention from experts and critics who have raised doubts about the evidence presented against Letby.
A group of independent scientists, doctors, and legal experts scrutinizing the scientific evidence from Letby's trial cautioned government officials about potential errors in legal proceedings involving technical healthcare matters, particularly cases with statistical anomalies.
McDonald highlighted Dr. Evans' revised opinion on the cause of death of infants referred to in court as Baby C, Baby I, and Baby P. Additionally, two neonatologists collaborating with the defense posited medical justifications for the illnesses of Baby C and Baby O, suggesting they were beyond resuscitation.
While McDonald prepares to file a request with the Court of Appeal to review Letby's appeal bid, the Crown Prosecution Service defended the verdicts. A spokesperson for the CPS emphasized that two juries and three appeal court judges meticulously assessed various strands of evidence against Letby, with the Court of Appeal dismissing her leave to appeal in May, rejecting claims of flawed expert prosecution evidence.
This latest development sets the stage for a potential reevaluation of Letby's case by the Court of Appeal, as McDonald seeks to challenge the previous rejections of her appeal applications.
