ITV News UK Editor Paul Brand explains why a panel of experts are casting doubts on whether Lucy Letby really did murder seven infants.
A panel of experts has claimed that there is “no evidence” that the seven infants Lucy Letby is convicted of killing were murdered.
Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
The panel was Chaired by Dr Shoo Lee, a Professor of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who ended the conference by saying: “Ladies and gentleman, we did not find murders.”
The 70 minute press conference covered detailed medical evidence which the panel claims “doesn’t support murder in any of these cases.”
He said: “We know that [the families] want to know the truth, and that is why we are here. To tell the truth.”
The panel claims that the prosecution has “no evidence” to support their argument that many of the infants died because Letby injected air into their bloodstream.
Dr Shoo Lee said: “The notion that these cases are air embolisms because they collapse and because there were skin rashes has no basis in evidence. Let’s be clear about that.”
He runs through what the panel found during their review and concludes: “Baby One died from thrombosis. There was no evidence of air embolism.”
Letby was also convicted of murdering a baby by removing their breathing tube, but Dr Shoo Lee said that the panel found “no proof the tube was dislodged”.
Instead, he said the consultant on the ward “did not understand the basics of resuscitation”.
He said: “The clinical deterioration was caused by the use of an undersized tube. The initial intubation was traumatic and poorly supervised.
“The consultant did not understand… how the equipment he was using actually worked.”
He also claimed that a “traumatic delivery” caused the death of another baby, which Letby was also convicted of murdering by injecting air into their lungs.
He says it is “nothing but conjecture” to say air was injected through the baby’s intravenous system or through a nasal gastric tube.
The baby collapsed after half of their blood was lost into the abdomen due to a rupture of a subcapsular haematoma, he says.
The panel was made up of 14 medical experts, who say they have all reviewed the medical records of the seven infants that Letby was convicted of murdering.
Each death was examined independently by two experts who all filed their own independent report.
The panel included of 10 neonatologists, a paediatric surgeon, a paediatric infectious disease specialist, and a neonatal intensive care nurse.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) received an application from Letby’s lawyers on Monday and said that work has already begun to assess the case, which involves “a significant volume of complicated evidence”.
A CCRC spokesperson said: “We are aware that there has been a great deal of speculation and commentary surrounding Lucy Letby’s case, much of it from parties with only a partial view of the evidence.
“We ask that everyone remembers the families affected by events at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
“We have received a preliminary application in relation to Ms Letby’s case, and work has begun to assess the application. We anticipate further submissions being made to us.”
The CCRC is not responsible for determining whether Letby is guilty or innocent, but can investigate if she has been a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
If they believe there is a real possibility that Letby’s conviction could be overturned or her sentenced reduced, they can refer her case to the court of appeals.
“At this stage it is not possible to determine how long it will take to review this application. A significant volume of complicated evidence was presented to the court in Ms Letby’s trials.”
MP Sir David Davis described Letby’s case as a “major injustice” and promised to “put it right.”
The panel was Chaired by Dr Shoo Lee, a Professor of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who said their aim was to help family’s discover “the truth of what really happened”.
He said: “We know that they want to know the truth, and that is why we are here. To tell the truth.”
A public inquiry into how Letby was able to commit her crimes began hearing evidence in September, with closing legal submissions expected in March.
The inquiry findings of Lady Justice Thirlwall are expected to be published this autumn.
Detectives from Cheshire Constabulary are continuing their review of the care of some 4,000 babies admitted to hospital while Letby worked as a neonatal nurse.
The period covers her time at the Countess of Chester Hospital from January 2012 to the end of June 2016, and includes two work placements at Liverpool Women’s Hospital in 2012 and 2015.
Letby has been interviewed at HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey, under caution in relation to the ongoing investigation into baby deaths and non-fatal collapses.
She also lost two bids last year to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal in 2024.
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