11-05-2025
Letby podcaster in ‘conflict of interest' row over payments from police
The co-host of a podcast about Lucy Letby is facing claims of an 'appalling conflict of interest' because her company was paid to train detectives involved in the case.
Public records filed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire show six separate payments made by Cheshire Constabulary to Media Factory Limited between 2022 and 2024.
The company was founded and run by Caroline Cheetham, the Daily Mail journalist who is a co-host of the The Trial of Lucy Letby.
The podcast boasted of getting 'exclusive interviews with detectives' as it recounted the trial of the former neonatal nurse convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven more.
The other host, Liz Hull, The Mail's northern correspondent, was also listed as a member of staff of the company as recently as April 2022, a month after payments from police began.
Records show that between March 2022 and August 2024, Operation Hummingbird – the investigation into Letby – paid Media Factory £8,050 for 'publicity'. Cheshire Police paid the firm a further £15,800 for 'external training courses'.
One payment for publicity was made two days after Letby's trial began in October 2022.
Mark McDonald, Letby's barrister, said: 'If this is true it's very concerning. The Daily Mail podcast of Lucy Letby was seen as quite biased, selective and on occasion too focussed on her guilt. It had influence within the general public and undoubtedly the narrative.
'If they received a generous sum of money from the police, this is the most appalling conflict of interest and goes to the very core of the police investigation around Letby.
'We must now have a full investigation into what exactly was the relationship between senior officers leading the investigation and this podcast, as well as the media more generally.'
Cheshire Police accepted there were payments, but claimed they were part of annual training.
DMG Media, which owns The Daily Mail said that it was unaware that Caroline Cheetham was providing services to Cheshire Police.
A spokesman said: 'The Trial is a groundbreaking true crime podcast universally respected for its integrity and impartiality.
'It has won multiple awards, had nearly 40 million downloads and received plaudits from all sides for its straightforward and unbiased reports of each day's trial proceedings.
'Freelance Caroline Cheetham, who is not an employee of DMG media, has independently been providing general media training to a variety of organisations through her company, Media Factory Ltd, since 2013.
'In the summer of 2022, prior to the Lucy Letby trial, Media Factory Ltd agreed to arrange three media training sessions for officers at Cheshire Constabulary involved in the case. DMG Media was unaware of these arrangements.'
The spokesman continued: 'This agreement predated the commencement of the Letby trial in October 2022. It was also before the idea of a live trial podcast had even been conceived, and before Caroline was first contacted and offered the opportunity to contribute.
'After the trial finished in August 2023 – again without the knowledge of DMG media – Media Factory Ltd continued to provide general media training sessions for its clients including three sessions for officers at Cheshire Constabulary, who were not related to the Letby case.'
The Mail, Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull have not responded to requests for comment.
Letby, 35, of Herefordshire, was convicted in 2023 of carrying out the murders and attempted murders while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.
But many observers have challenged the way the evidence was presented to the jury, and a panel of world-leading experts has reviewed the medical notes and concluded there were no malicious acts.
Letby's case is currently being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which looks into potential miscarriages of justice.
The Trial of Lucy Letby first aired in October 2022 and was recognised as News Podcast of the Year at the Press Awards and by the London Press Club. It received more than 30 million downloads and at one point was number one podcast in five countries.
It promised to give listeners 'every detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims and experts'. It was praised for tackling the legal pitfalls which arose with covering ongoing proceedings in the first podcast trial.
Jurors were also not prohibited from reading or listening to media reports during proceedings, with Judge Goss only instructing them that reporting could be selective and advising them to try the case on the evidence they heard in court.
But the Mail's podcast has faced claims of bias and accusations that it has become too close to Cheshire Constabulary, while dismissing new data from scientists, doctors and nurses which questioned the convictions.
Relationships with police
In January 2024, Liz Hull told Counsel Magazine that the podcast team were able to get such good access to police because they attended court each day of the trial which 'enabled the police to build relationships with them'.
But the payments show that police had begun a financial relationship with Media Factory months before the trial began.
Media Factory's website says it has 'decades of experience' and knows how to 'formulate your messages and get them across in the most positive way'.
It adds: 'Every course we design is tailored to you and the needs of your team. We plan interview scenarios in advance – relevant to you and your organisation.'
The police and the Crown Prosecution Service say that Letby's case was tested by two juries and has been to the Court of Appeal twice without success.
Responding to queries about the payments, a spokesman for Cheshire Constabulary said: 'Each year Cheshire Constabulary regularly trains a number of officers across the force as part of their development and the payments reflect that.'
