Lucy Letby's legal team to announce 'new medical evidence'
A press conference will be held in central London this morning
Last updated 4th Feb 2025
The legal team representing child serial killer Lucy Letby is due to announce what is claimed to be "new medical evidence" from a panel of international experts.
Chaired by Conservative MP Sir David Davis, it will include retired neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee, who is expected to disclose new analysis at a central London press conference this morning.
The evidence is said to be the unanimous findings of independent analysis by 14 neonatal experts.
Dr Lee was the top paediatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in Canada for more than a decade, and founded the Canadian Neonatal Network, which includes 27 hospitals and 16 universities.
Tory former minister Sir David, who earlier this week used justice questions in the House of Commons to raise concerns on behalf of Letby's legal team who are seeking to reopen her case, will chair the panel and the former nurse's barrister, Mark McDonald, will also be present.
Letby, from Hereford, was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
After two trials, she is serving 15 whole-life orders, making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison.
Her legal team last month said it would make a fresh bid to challenge her convictions on the grounds that the lead prosecution medical expert at her trial was "not reliable".
Mr McDonald said he would seek permission from the Court of Appeal to take the "exceptional but necessary decision" to apply to reopen her case.
Retired consultant paediatrician Dr Dewi Evans said concerns regarding his evidence were "unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate".
Sir David, the MP for Goole and Pocklington, wants a retrial for Letby and said he believes it will "clear" the former nurse.
A spokesperson from Cheshire Police said: “In August 2023, following a trial spanning almost a year and the jury carrying out their deliberations for more than a month, Lucy Letby was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others. She was also found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder and the jury could not reach a verdict on six further attempted murder charges.
“In July 2024, following a re-trial Letby was found guilty of a further count of attempted murder. As a result of these two trials, she was sentenced to 15 whole life orders in prison.
“The case was subsequently reviewed by the Court of Appeal, where three judges unanimously rejected Letby’s claim that the evidence was flawed and dismissed her leave to appeal on all grounds. A further appeal was lodged by Letby in relation to the outcome of the re-trial. On 24th October 2024, following a further hearing at the Court of Appeal in London, a panel of judges rejected this application.
“There are currently two active investigations that are continuing – these include an ongoing review into the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 and a separate investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital. In addition to this there is an independent statutory public inquiry – the next phase of this will focus on closing submissions in March 2025.
“In light of the ongoing investigations we will not be commenting any further on this case.”
A public inquiry examining events at the Countess of Chester Hospital following Letby's multiple convictions is underway, with the findings by chairwoman Lady Justice Thirlwall expected this autumn.