Latest news with #Thirwall
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Scotsman
Sheku Bayoh inquiry: Senior counsel linked to Post Office case appointed as Lord Bracadale comes under fire
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The long-running public inquiry into the events surrounding the death of father-of-two Sheku Bayoh in police custody has appointed an additional senior counsel to its legal team. The inquiry scrutinising the death of the 31-year-old, who died in May 2015 after being restrained on the ground by six police officers in Kirkcaldy, Fife, has appointed Jason Beer KC, who joins senior counsel, Angela Grahame KC, and senior counsel, Laura Thomson KC. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Beer, the head of 5 Essex Chambers, specialises in public inquiries, inquests, public law and police law. He has served a key role in several high-profile cases, including the Post Office Horizon inquiry, the Thirwall inquiry, and those into the Grenfell disaster and the death of Dawn Sturgess. Lawyers involved in the Sheku Bayoh inquiry have been reprimanded for inappropriate use of mobile phones in the hearing room. | PA The next hearing dates It comes as the inquiry announced its next hearing dates will take place on June 12 and 13. The hearing will focus on the fairness of the conduct and procedure adopted by the inquiry's chair, Lord Bracadale, in meeting the families of Mr Bayoh. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has questioned the former High Court judge's impartiality, and last month intimated a petition for a judicial review of the inquiry after announcing it had 'lost confidence' in the proceedings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is understood that Lord Bracadale, who has helmed the inquiry since 2020, will consider whether he should step down from the role in the aftermath of the hearing. Should he do so, it would result in significant delays to the inquiry's work. Jason Beer KC has been appointed to the inquiry team. Picture: PA | PA The Sheku Bayoh inquiry's costs Since the statutory inquiry began in November 2020, it has cost more than £23.7 million. The inquiry has completed the process of gathering evidence and was due to hear closing submissions. After the concerns surrounding Lord Bracadale were first raised, Sadif Ashraf, the solicitor to the inquiry, wrote to all parties in March, pointing out the engagement of families was 'crucial to the effectiveness' of the inquiry. He stressed that if the inquiry failed to obtain and retain the confidence of the families, its effectiveness would be prejudiced. Lord Bracadale's conduct Mr Ashraf said since the start of the inquiry's work, Lord Bracadale had publicly expressed his intention to keep the families 'at the heart' of the inquiry, and considered it 'reasonable and appropriate" to meet members of the Bayoh families "from time to time" to reassure them, maintain their confidence in its work, and encourage them to participate fully in it. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lord Bracadale has chaired the inquiry since it began its work in November 2020. Picture: PA | PA The first meeting took place in November 2021, followed by further meetings in April and November 2022, and January and December last year. Mr Ashraf's letter noted the purpose of the meetings was "to address issues relating to the welfare of family members as the inquiry progressed', and the impact on them of the inquiry. "The chair made it clear that anything of an evidential nature would require to be examined in evidence in the inquiry," Mr Ashraf said.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
British Popstar Remembers Special Taylor Swift Moment
When it comes to Taylor Swift's tours, the music isn't the only thing fans rave about; her opening acts and surprise special guests have become legendary in their own right. From chart-topping artists to rising stars, Swift has a gift for handpicking performers who bring just as much energy and star power to the stage as she does. In past tours, she's shared the spotlight with major names like Selena Gomez and Shawn Mendes during the "1989 World Tour," Charli XCX and Camilla Cabello in Swift's "Reputation Stadium Tour" and Ed Sheeran for her "Red Tour" back in 2013, proving she has a serious eye for talent on the rise. In her most recent "Eras Tour," Swift performed with many of her openers, many of whom are well-known artists, such as Gracie Abrams, Phoebe Bridgers and Sabrina Carpenter. One popstar in particular recently recalled her and her band being personally asked by Taylor Swift to perform at the "1989 World Tour" back in 2015. Jade Thirwall, who was part of the girl group Little Mix at the time, felt like it was "the seal of approval" when she received the call. "When we got the call from Taylor herself that she wanted us to join her on stage, it was like 'Oh my gosh!' […] It's the seal of approval," Thirwall said recently, according to Pop Base. "She was very lovely, very supportive.' On August 15, 2015, Little Mix performed their hit song "Black Magic" with Swift during the tour's stop in Santa Clara, California. A fan even posted on X that even ten years after their collab performance, Swift played Thirwall's debut single "Angel of My Dreams" as part of the "Eras Tour" pre-show playlist at one of Swift's shows in Miami. Formed on "The X Factor" in 2011, Little Mix is a British girl group that rose to fame thanks to their songs "Shout Out to My Ex" and "Black Magic." The group achieved international success and became one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. In 2020, Jesy Nelson left the band, and in 2022, the remaining members announced an indefinite hiatus to focus on solo projects. After the group announced their hiatus, Thirwall began carving out her solo career with the artist name JADE. She signed with RCA Records and released her first song, "Angel Of My Dreams," in July 2024. The British pop singer's debut album "That's Showbiz Baby!" will be released on September 12.
Sky News
17-03-2025
- Sky News
Why are there calls to suspend Lucy Letby inquiry - and what have we learnt from it?
Why you can trust Sky News After Lucy Letby was sentenced to 15 whole-life terms for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, an inquiry was launched to ensure lessons were learnt. The Thirlwall Inquiry is examining three broad themes - the experiences of all victims' parents, how the concerns of clinicians were handled, and to ensure lessons are learnt from the case of the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history. About 133 witnesses, including parents who lost their children, hospital executives, and Letby's former colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital, have provided live evidence to the inquiry since September, with a further 396 giving written statements. The closing statements this week come days after a police investigation into corporate manslaughter was widened to include gross negligence manslaughter. The inquiry also heard that two baby deaths remain the subject of ongoing police investigation, which Letby has been interviewed in prison over. Inquiry chair Lady Justice Thirlwall is expected to publish her official report in the autumn, outlining the detailed findings and recommendations based on the evidence that has been heard. This week, the Thirlwall Inquiry is hearing closing submissions from the various interested parties. Here's what has been said during the key testimonies so far. 2:34 Why is it called the Thirwall inquiry and why are there calls for it to be suspended? Opening the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall on 10 September last year, Lady Justice Thirlwall said the probe bears her surname so that the parents do not repeatedly see the name of the person convicted of harming their babies. She said the babies who died or were injured would be at the "heart of the inquiry" and condemned comments at the time that questioned the validity of Letby's convictions - which the nurse tried and failed to challenge at the Court of Appeal - and some of the evidence used at trial. The inquiry also remains separate to a 14-member expert panel, led by retired neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee and senior Conservative MP David Davis, which in February said it had analysed medical evidence considered during Letby's trial and claimed there was no medical evidence that the nurse murdered or attempted to murder 14 premature babies. Letby's lawyers have since applied for a review of her case as a "potential miscarriage of justice" by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) after two failed bids at the Court of Appeal. On Monday, the judge said she had received a request last month from lawyers representing former executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital asking for the public inquiry to be suspended. Lady Justice Thirlwall also said she had recently received a written request from solicitors representing Letby for her to pause the inquiry. In the letter to the judge, which Sky News has seen, Letby's lawyers warned Lady Justice Thirlwall that her final report would "not only be redundant but likely unreliable" if it was not put on hold until after the conclusion of the former nurse's CCRC application. Letby couldn't 'wait to get first death out of the way' One of the nurses who started as a newly qualified nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital on the same day as Letby told the inquiry that the serial killer had told her she "can't wait for her first death to get it out the way". The nurse said she thought the comment was "strange" at the time, but she put it down to Letby just making conversation. She also recalled Letby being "animated" when telling her she had been involved with resuscitation attempts of a child on the ward in 2012. "It was kind of like she was excited to tell me about it," the nurse said. 'Likely' Letby murdered or attacked more children Neonatal clinical lead at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr Stephen Brearey, told the inquiry that he thought it was "likely" Letby murdered or started to harm babies prior to June 2015. He agreed that "on reflection" several unexpected collapses and deaths before that date now "appear suspicious". Dr Brearey added he did not have concerns about those incidents at the time, saying that hospital staff "thought we were going through a busy or particularly difficult patch". The inquiry was told that the dislodgement of breathing tubes, which was how Letby tried to kill Child K, generally occurs on less than 1% of shifts. However, it happened on 40% of shifts that Letby worked when she was a trainee at Liverpool Women's Hospital. Newborn given potentially fatal morphine overdose Two years before Letby carried out the murder of Child A, she and another nurse gave a potentially fatal dose of morphine to a newborn baby. Neonatal unit ward deputy ward manager, Yvonne Griffiths, told the inquiry that the infant received 10 times the correct amount of the painkiller at the end of a night shift in July 2013. Describing it as a "very serious error", she said the infant could have died if colleagues had not spotted the error an hour later. Letby was told she had to stop administering controlled drugs as a result of the error, a decision that she told management she was not happy about. Letby offered 'tips' on how to get away with murder In a WhatsApp exchange in 2017, Letby and union rep Hayley Griffiths discussed the US legal drama How To Get Away With Murder. The discussion took place a year after the neonatal nurse was moved to clerical duties following concerns she may have been deliberately harming babies. In a message to Letby, Ms Griffiths wrote: "I'm currently watching a programme called How To Get Away With Murder. I'm learning some good tips." To which Letby replied: "I could have given you some tips x." 0:42 Ms Griffiths responded saying she needed "someone to practice on to see if [she] could get away with it", and Letby replied: "I can think of two people you could practice on and will help you cover it up x." The union rep said: "I truly and deeply regret having started that conversation... this is completely unprofessional." No support or counselling given to parents The parents of two triplet boys murdered by Letby told the inquiry they were given no support or counselling after the deaths of their children. The children died on successive days in June 2016. Letby was their designated nurse and their deaths led to her being removed from the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit to a non-patient facing role. 5:47 The triplets' father said: "Following the deaths of our children, we didn't receive any support or counselling from anyone. Had we received some support, we might have been in a better position to try and act on what our instincts were telling us, which was that something had gone badly wrong." Senior consultant: 'I should have been braver' Letby's trial in 2023 heard that senior paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram caught the serial killer "virtually red-handed" after an incident in a nursery room at the hospital in February 2016. Addressing that incident while giving evidence at the inquiry, Dr Jayaram said he had walked into the nursery after feeling "significant discomfort" that Letby was alone with Child K. After walking in, he said he saw "a baby clearly deteriorating" and the child's endotracheal tube (ET) dislodged. Despite his concern over the incident, the consultant did not tell anyone at the hospital, or the police. Explaining why he said nothing, Dr Jayaram said: "It's the fear of not being believed. It's the fear of ridicule. It's the fear of accusations of bullying. "I should have been braver and should have had more courage because it was not just an isolated thing. There was already a lot of other information." Hospital boss: 'I should've done better' Tony Chambers, the former chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital, was a key witness to give evidence during the inquiry. During his evidence, Mr Chambers offered an apology to the families who had fallen victim to Letby and said his language had been "clumsy" in telling the killer nurse the hospital had "her back". "I absolutely acknowledged that we hadn't got that right. We could have done better, we should have done better. I should have done better," he said. When pressed on if he tried to "stall and obstruct the police being called or this being made public", he added: "Had that been what I had done then it would be. But I think it's an outrageous statement and I do not believe it represents my actions." Jeremy Hunt: 'Terrible tragedy happened on my watch' Jeremy Hunt appeared at the inquiry in January where he apologised to the victims' families, saying he was sorry "for anything that didn't happen that could potentially have prevented such an appalling crime". Mr Hunt was health secretary at the time Letby committed her crimes in 2015 and 2016. The MP told the inquiry the former nurse's crimes were "a terrible tragedy" which "happened on my watch" and "although he doesn't bear direct personal responsibility for everything that happens in every ward in the NHS" he does have "ultimate responsibility for the NHS". He recommended that medical examiners should be trained to see the signs or patterns of malicious harm in the work of a healthcare professional.
