Latest news with #ThirlwallInquiry
Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Telegraph
Letby inquiry delays publishing report amid miscarriage of justice fears
The Lucy Letby inquiry has delayed publishing its report amid ongoing fears of a miscarriage of justice. Its findings were set to be released by the end of November 2025 but are now expected in early 2026, a statement on the Thirlwall Inquiry website said. Letby, 35, of Herefordshire, was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. After she was sentenced to 15 life terms in prison, the Thirlwall Inquiry was launched to find out how she was able to commit her crimes. However, since then many experts have challenged the way in which the evidence was presented to the jury, and a panel of world-leading experts has reviewed the medical notes and concluded that there were no malicious acts. Letby's case is being considered by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which looks into potential miscarriages of justice, although police and the Crown Prosecution Service insist she was fairly convicted. Lady Justice Thirlwall had previously announced that she hoped her findings from the public inquiry would be released in November. An update on progress However, the statement on its website on Thursday said: 'The inquiry has written to core participants with an update on the progress of the final report. 'Lady Justice Thirlwall, is expected to send out warning letters from September 2025 and the final report will be completed by the end of November. The report will then undergo copy editing and typesetting, ahead of publication in early 2026.' Warning letters are sent to those who may be subject to significant or explicit criticism in an inquiry report and allows them the chance to respond.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Yahoo
Lucy Letby is ‘probably innocent', says former Supreme Court judge
Lucy Letby is 'probably' innocent, one of Britain's most distinguished judges has said. Lord Jonathan Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, wrote in The Sunday Times that the case against the former neonatal nurse was based 'entirely on inferences from circumstantial evidence'. Letby is serving 15 full-life terms for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of seven more. However, there are growing fears that her case could be a miscarriage of justice amid concerns about how evidence was presented in her trials. 'We can only hope that the Letby case will not be added to the long and depressing list of uncorrected miscarriages of justice in the English courts,' he wrote. Lord Sumption continued: 'These injustices destroy lives and discredit the whole system of criminal justice. A whole life order is a terrible thing. 'If Letby was wrongly convicted, and there is now a serious case that she was, it is horrifying to contemplate that this young woman of 35 may be locked up without hope until she dies, perhaps half a century hence, simply because our system is too rigid to allow a proper review of her case.' He added that the lawyers and scientists now questioning the convictions are 'too numerous and too well qualified to be dismissed as troublemakers'. Lord Sumption's comments come after it was decided that the Thirlwall Inquiry – which has been examining how the nurse was able to murder or attack the 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital – will not be halted. The inquiry has now finished hearing evidence, but the hospital's former executives and Letby requested a pause as there was a 'real possibility' her convictions may be overturned. Last month, an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists concluded that 'either natural causes or bad medical care' were the real reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to Letby. Those findings were passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice. Lord Sumption labelled the panel's findings as Letby's 'only hope'. If approved, it could refer her case back to the Court of Appeal, despite two previous failed bids. Lord Sumption said the case mounted against Letby was 'very speculative' and that the prosecution had not clarified to jurors that 'most of the babies were not healthy and stable before their collapse'. He added the chances of a nurse turning into a mass murderer rather than a baby collapsing from natural causes or human error were 'vanishingly small'. The former judge highlighted the fact that in six of the seven murder cases against her, five post mortems found the babies had died of natural causes. Lord Sumption also mentioned the 'apparently damning chart' that listed for jurors the 25 infant deaths and collapses that Letby was charged with. He wrote that the chart had been deemed 'statistically worthless' by experts because it only showed the collapses she was accused of causing. Lord Sumption added: 'The families understandably want a definitive answer. 'But the reality is that in spite of the jury's verdicts they will not get one until the serious anomalies in this case have been addressed.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Sky News
19-03-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Letby inquiry will not be halted after requests from hospital executives
The public inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes will not be halted, its chairwoman has ruled, despite requests from hospital executives to do so. On Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused the application from the senior hospital managers to pause the inquiry, pending the outcome of Letby's latest challenge to her multiple convictions for murder and attempted murder. Since September, the Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse was able to murder or attack 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Evidence was completed last month and the final report is due to be published in November. In closing submissions on Tuesday, Kate Blackwell QC, representing former chief executive Tony Chambers, former medical director Ian Harvey, former director of nursing Alison Kelly and former HR director Sue Hodkinson, said there was a "real possibility" that Letby 's convictions may be overturned, and to continue the report work would be unfair to her clients. The former senior managers have also made a parallel request to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, to suspend the inquiry on similar grounds. Richard Baker KC, representing the families of Letby's victims, said the applications to stop the inquiry were motivated by a desire from the UK's most prolific child serial killer to "attempt to control the narrative" and for the executives "to avoid criticism". Letby's latest legal challenge to her multiple convictions is based on recent medical evidence presented by an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists, working pro bono for Letby's defence team, which found that bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to the 35-year-old nurse. Those findings will be passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and Letby's legal team hopes her case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal after two failed bids. Sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, Lady Justice Thirlwall said: "I'm not satisfied that there is any unfairness in the current situation. I am satisfied that the process has been fair. "As I have said before, it is not the actions of Lucy Letby that I am scrutinising, it is the actions of all those who were in the hospital... and what they did at the time, in the light of what they knew at the time and in the light of what they should have known at the time." She continued: "There are already large numbers of concessions about what was not done and what should have been done. Those significant concessions come from the organisations and the hospital including the doctors and the managers. "Perhaps principle, and most obvious, among the concessions made by just about everyone is the acknowledgement that there was a total failure of safeguarding at every level, and that will not change. "It is a matter which has been debated at some length in the course of the inquiry and one that it seems to me will inevitably feature in any report." Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016. Letby's barrister Mark McDonald said today's decision was "a great shame". "Sadly, despite the millions of pounds that have been spent, any report and recommendations will one day be seen as unreliable and redundant. "I will continue to represent Ms Letby without fear or favour and ensure the many flaws in the case are put before the Court of Appeal. If the numerous experts who have come forward are right, a young innocent woman is in prison for crimes she has not committed."
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Letby public inquiry will not be paused
A public inquiry into the crimes of Lucy Letby will not be halted, its chairwoman has ruled. The Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse was able to murder or attack 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The inquiry finished hearing evidence last month and the final report is due to be published in November. But the hospital's former executives and Letby requested a pause to the inquiry, pending the outcome of her latest challenge to her multiple convictions for murder and attempted murder. On Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused the application from the senior managers. In closing submissions on Tuesday, Kate Blackwell QC, representing former chief executive Tony Chambers, former medical director Ian Harvey, former director of nursing Alison Kelly and former HR director Sue Hodkinson, said there was a 'real possibility' that Letby's convictions may be overturned, and to continue the report work would be unfair to her clients. The former senior managers have also made a request to Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, to suspend the inquiry on similar grounds. Letby's solicitors wrote to Lady Justice Thirlwall on Monday to suggest her final report would be 'redundant and likely unreliable' unless proceedings were halted. Richard Baker KC, representing families of Letby's victims, said the applications to stop the inquiry were motivated by the desire from Britain's most prolific child serial killer to 'attempt to control the narrative' and for the executives 'to avoid criticism'. He added that there was 'nothing remarkable or new' about recent medical evidence presented on her behalf. Last month, an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists, working pro bono for Letby's defence team, told reporters that bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths attributed to Letby. Those findings will be passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and the former nurse's legal team hope her case will eventually be referred back to the Court of Appeal after two previous failed bids. Sitting at Liverpool Town Hall, Lady Justice Thirlwall said: 'I'm not satisfied that there is any unfairness in the current situation. I am satisfied that the process has been fair. 'As I have said before, it is not the actions of Lucy Letby that I am scrutinising, it is the actions of all those who were in the hospital... and what they did at the time, in the light of what they knew at the time and in the light of what they should have known at the time... 'There are already large numbers of concessions about what was not done and what should have been done. Those significant concessions come from the organisations and the hospital including the doctors and the managers. 'Perhaps principle, and most obvious among the concessions made by just about everyone is the acknowledgement that there was a total failure of safeguarding at every level, and that will not change.' Lady Justice Thirlwall said she expressed no view on the merits of Letby's application to the CCRC. She said: 'It is clear that this will be a very lengthy process for the CCRC... it is inevitable that the pause being sought is of a length which is entirely outside of my control but it appears on the face of it to be a very lengthy one.' Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- BBC News
Lucy Letby: Families oppose attempt to stop inquiry
The families of babies murdered and attacked by nurse Lucy Letby have described an application by former hospital bosses to halt the public inquiry into her crimes as "arrogant, self-serving fantasy".Ex-managers at the Countess of Chester Hospital have asked the Thirlwall Inquiry, which is in its final stages, to be paused because of what they said was a "real possibility" that her convictions may be 35, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others while she worked on the neonatal unit between June 2015 and June to the inquiry have also been sent by Letby's legal team, although she is not classed as a core participant, and from Sir David Davis MP, who has repeatedly said he believes there was a miscarriage of justice. Letby's new barrister, Mark McDonald, arranged a press conference in February attended by a panel of 14 international experts in neonatology and paediatric care which disputed the prosecution's evidence from Letby's trials. Their report forms part of an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the statutory body set up to look for miscarriages of justice, asking it to refer Letby's case to the Court of Appeal for a full hearing. However, Richard Baker KC, representing some of the parents of babies harmed and killed by Letby, said: "Letby will have a serious mountain to climb in convincing the Criminal Cases Review Commission or the Court of Appeal that [her application] is indeed fresh evidence."Referring to recent publicity generated by Letby's new legal team, he said the former nurse had "cynically tried to change the narrative". "Despite all the bells and whistles which might be attached to a press conference, there is nothing new or remarkable about the evidence being presented," he said. "The volume of noise surrounding this inquiry shouldn't be allowed to distract from the message at its heart." Why the Lucy Letby case is under more scrutiny than ever Representing a separate group of families, Peter Skelton KC said: "Lucy Letby has been convicted during a protracted trial during which she had access to the finest criminal legal team and numerous medical specialist experts across all relevant specialisms, none of whom were ultimately called to give evidence to support her defence."Regarding a report published by the panel of medical experts who are working with Letby's new legal team, he said: "Cursory analysis of the report - identifies multiple problems with their analysis."What has been presented with great fanfare as new and incontrovertible evidence turns out to be old and full of analytical holes. "Critical medical and non-medical evidence from the trials and this inquiry has been ignored or dismissed."About the former senior hospital managers, Mr Skelton said, "They appear to have lived in and still be living in an alternate and internally contradictory reality - one where no murders or attempted murders took place. "This is arrogant self-serving fantasy."Chairwoman Lady Justice Thirlwall said the findings of the inquiry, sitting in Liverpool, will be published in the autumn. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
