Latest news with #miscarriageOfJustice
The Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Why Lucy Letby's lawyers are ramping up killer's freedom bid after bombshell twist in ANOTHER infamous murder case
TWO dramatic court cases saw her convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven more - leaving Lucy Letby facing the rest of her life behind bars. But supporters of the 35-year-old nurse, who believe she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice, are now clinging to fresh hope after a seismic twist in another infamous criminal case - and are calling on MPs to step in. 9 9 The growing band of Letby champions, including MP David Davis, have been buoyed by the recent release of Peter Sullivan, 68, who was freed after 38 years when his murder conviction was overturned. The Court of Appeal quashed his conviction for the murder and sexual assault of 21-year-old florist Diane Sindall, who was battered to death in 1986, when a DNA testing breakthrough proved he was not a match for a semen sample found on her body. On a Facebook group set up for Letby's followers, one supporter said: 'There's another victim, Peter Sullivan, of a miscarriage of justice freed after 38 years of wrongful incarceration for a crime he did not commit. 'We need to put more pressure on our local MPs to speed up Lucy's appeal.' But far from offering a glimmer of hope to the 'Letby is innocent' brigade, the handling of Sullivan's case and that of Andrew Malkinson, wrongly convicted of rape, merely proves it could be years before the evidence is reviewed. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is currently considering an application for an appeal from Letby's lawyers, has been slammed by critics as 'not fit for purpose' after delays and blunders left the two innocent men floundering in jail years after new evidence that finally cleared them came to light. The legal team for Malkinson, who served 17 years before his rape conviction was quashed in 2023, spent more than a decade pleading with the CCRC to conduct DNA tests on samples taken from the victim, but was repeatedly refused. Those tests, it later emerged, would have seen him released at least a decade earlier. Similarly Sullivan, who was dubbed the 'Beast of Birkenhead', spent 38 years behind bars protesting his innocence despite his lawyers telling the CCRC in 2008 that DNA analysis of a semen sample found on the victim would clear him. And while the forensic test known as Y-STR, which eventually proved his innocence, became available in 2013, the CCRC waited until 2021 to order proper tests, and another four years before he was acquitted. I defend baby killers like Lucy Letby – bombshell new theory could FREE her but I know real truth… & it's NOT medical The Commission's chair, Helen Pitcher, who earned £95,000 a year for a two-day week, was forced to quit in April after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was 'unfit' for the role. Now there are calls for the resignation of chief executive Karen Kneller, a lawyer who received a £130,000 salary from taxpayers last year. A report into the Malkinson case, by KC Chris Henley, found Kneller was 'head of casework' at the time of the CCRC's "very poor" work and slammed staff for "muddled" thinking, "casual and dismissive" language and failing to read evidence. She was also in the role when Peter Sullivan's team made their first approach. 9 9 Swell of support Letby, originally from Hereford, is facing 15 whole life sentences for the murders and attempted murders at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire. Since her two trials, in August 2023 and October 2024, a swell of support has been building for the 35-year-old. Dr Shoo Lee, an eminent neonatal expert who claims his research was incorrectly interpreted by the prosecution to convict Letby, has said 'the medical evidence doesn't support murder [or attempted murder]' in any of the cases'. He is backed by a growing number of those who believe the case against her is flawed. In February, Letby's legal team submitted an application to the CCRC - set up in 1997 to review possible miscarriages of justice - with barrister Mark McDonald hand-delivering the full findings of a 14-strong international panel of experts. Her supporters argue that the babies could have died of natural causes, and Dr Lee claimed his findings on skin discolouration used to support the theory that the nurse killed some of the children by injecting them with air was "misrepresented" in court and that the evidence "wasn't quite right". He and the panel examined all 17 cases cited in the trial and concluded: 'Death or injury of all the affected infants were due either to natural causes or to errors in medical care.' Last month, an email emerged which appeared to contradict a consultant's testament he had caught Letby 'red-handed', standing over the cot of the victim known as Baby K as he was deteriorating without calling for help. In the bombshell missive sent to colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital on May 4, 2017, which was not read in court, Dr Ravi Jayaram wrote: 'At time of deterioration... Staff nurse Letby (was) at the incubator and called Dr Jayaram to inform of low saturations.' He added: 'Baby K subsequently deteriorated and eventually died, but events around this would fit with explainable events associated with extreme prematurity.' 'Not fit for purpose' 9 Following the release of Peter Sullivan, Letby has been flooded with a fresh wave of support, with her loyal band of followers drawing apparent inspiration from the latest acquittal. One man wrote: 'A new police investigation and new compensation claims. Those people in charge don't want that to happen anytime soon.' Another posted: 'Lucy and Peter Sullivan were found guilty of a crime by a jury and sentenced accordingly. 'I believe that only pressure from MPs and Lucy's legal team can speed up her case review. Unfortunately our legal system is not fit for purpose when it comes to addressing mistakes.' A link about how to raise the matter with your local MP has been posted to the site. A follower said: 'In Lucy's case there was NO crime so hopefully we can keep pushing that aspect and save the long wait for a retrial.' One woman referred to the CCRC as the 'Criminally Corrupt Reluctance Committee'. Referring to how Mr Sullivan must feel and drawing parallels between the two cases, another supporter said: 'It must be horribly frustrating for him… just as it is for Lucy.' The page, vowing that one day Letby will be freed, has seen an increase to over 3,400 followers. Internet sleuths still pore over the evidence from the trials and press coverage in online forums such as Reddit and Mumsnet. The pages have been flooded with discussions about supposed 'similarities' between the former nurse and Mr Sullivan, who they say were both wrongly jailed. One fan said: 'Worth noting that Mr Sullivan appears to have repeatedly made false statements to the police, a bit like what the Crown claimed Letby did.' Another posted: 'I was struck by the careful emphasis throughout that no one was being blamed for having got it wrong before. It makes me worried for Lucy Letby.' £1million payout 9 9 After the CCRC refused Sullivan's first attempt to challenge his conviction in 2008 he lost his appeal bid in 2019, before again asking the CCRC to refer his case in 2021, raising concerns over police interviews, bite mark evidence used during his trial and the murder weapon. Merseyside Police reopened the investigation in 2023 after the commission found that DNA samples taken from the scene did not match Mr Sullivan. He's now in line for a £1million payout, the maximum compensation claim for a wrongful conviction. Letby lost two bids last year to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal. Lawyer Katie Wheatley, partner at Bindmans and head of the Crime, Fraud and Regulatory team, said that while the two cases are 'very different in nature', the legal test for the CCRC remains the same. She said: 'Mr Sullivan was cleared by the Court of Appeal after new DNA tests obtained by the CCRC cast very significant doubt on the safety of his conviction. 'In Lucy Letby's case, her lawyer has said that the CCRC has been provided with new medical evidence from a panel of neonatologists and paediatric experts. 'It will be up to the CCRC to review this material and carry out any further investigations it considers appropriate. 'When considering whether to refer Lucy Letby's case to the Court of Appeal, the CCRC will apply the legal test for referral which is whether it considers there is a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will quash her convictions. 'Thus, while the cases are very different in nature, the legal test applied by the CCRC will be the same.' Timeline of horror - how Letby targeted babies LUCY Letby carried out her horrific crimes in a year-long period at Countess of Chester Hospital. She used insulin and air to inject newborns while working on the neo-natal ward. The collapses and deaths of the children were not 'naturally-occurring tragedies' and instead the gruesome work of 'poisoner' Letby. Her rampage was finally uncovered after staff grew suspicious of the "significant rise" in the number of babies dying or suffering "catastrophic" collapses. Letby was found to be the "common denominator" among the horrifying incidents. Officers then searched her three-bedroom home in Chester and discovered a chilling cache of evidence. The nurse had scribbled haunting notes in diaries and on Post-It notes, including one that read: "I am evil I did this." The note added: "I don't deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough to care for them. "I am a horrible person." A probe into whether Letby harmed any other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital is ongoing. A corporate manslaughter investigation is also ongoing, as is now a gross negligence manslaughter one. The CCRC receives 1,500-1,600 cases each year, referring around 30 back to the Court of Appeal. The Law Commission is currently consulting on whether the 'real possibility' legal test that the CCRC currently applies should be changed to reflect the body's own view of whether a conviction might be unsafe, rather than having to predict what the Court of Appeal might think. Katie added: 'A change in the legal test might result in the CCRC broadening the focus of its investigations and being able to refer more cases to the Court of Appeal to review.' Even if the CCRC decides to refer Letby's case following the 14-strong panel's findings, the complexity of the case means it could take years, according to legal experts. Meanwhile, lawyers for the families of Letby's victims rubbished the report, claiming it's "full of analytical holes" and "a rehash" of the defence case heard at trial. Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, of Cheshire Police, also hit back at 'ill-informed and insensitive' critics questioning her guilt. In a strongly worded statement, he insisted the former nurse's case had been 'rigorously and fairly tested' by two juries and two sets of appeal court judges after a painstaking six-year police investigation. Referring to the victims' families, he added: 'Their dignity and composure in the face of intense public discussions with little sensitivity or humanity is remarkable. 'Their words are incredibly honest and powerful and must not be lost in a sea of noise.' Undeterred 9 9 In November, Lady Justice Thirlwall is due to publish the findings from the public inquiry into how the former nurse was able to commit her crimes. Cheshire Constabulary is continuing a review of deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital during Letby's time as a nurse from 2012 to 2016. But Letby's supporters seem far from deterred and even threw a party to celebrate her 35th birthday at a pub in Clapham, south London. They filled the public gallery during her trial and protested outside Manchester crown court, wearing yellow butterfly badges to match one seen in a photo of Letby in scrubs. Every December since her conviction in 2023, they have sent her Christmas cards in prison. But, even if there are flaws in the prosecution, it will be a long time before they can celebrate a fresh appeal. The charges Letby was convicted on in full Child A, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby injected air intravenously into the bloodstream of the baby boy. COUNT 1 GUILTY. Child B, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby attempted to murder the baby girl, the twin sister of Child A, by injecting air into her bloodstream. COUNT 2 GUILTY. Child C, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said Letby forced air down a feeding tube and into the stomach of the baby boy. COUNT 3 GUILTY. Child D, allegation of murder. The Crown said air was injected intravenously into the baby girl. COUNT 4 GUILTY. Child E, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby murdered the twin baby boy with an injection of air into the bloodstream and also deliberately caused bleeding to the infant. COUNT 5 GUILTY. Child F, allegation of attempted murder. Letby was said by prosecutors to have poisoned the twin brother of Child E with insulin. COUNT 6 GUILTY. Child G, three allegations of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby targeted the baby girl by overfeeding her with milk and pushing air down her feeding tube. COUNT 7 GUILTY, COUNT 8 GUILTY, COUNT 9 NOT GUILTY. Child H, two allegations of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Letby sabotaged the care of the baby girl in some way which led to two profound oxygen desaturations. COUNT 10 NOT GUILTY, COUNT 11 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT. Child I, allegation of murder. The prosecution said Letby killed the baby girl at the fourth attempt and had given her air and overfed her with milk. COUNT 12 GUILTY. Child J, allegation of attempted murder. No specific form of harm was identified by the prosecution but they said Letby did something to cause the collapse of the baby girl. COUNT 13 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT. Child K, allegation of attempted murder. The prosecution said Letby compromised the baby girl as she deliberately dislodged a breathing tube. COUNT 14 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT. Child L, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said the nurse poisoned the twin baby boy with insulin. COUNT 15 GUILTY. Child M, allegation of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Letby injected air into the bloodstream of Child L's twin brother. COUNT 16 GUILTY. Child N, three allegations of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby inflicted trauma in the baby boy's throat and also injected him with air in the bloodstream. COUNT 17 GUILTY, COUNT 18 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT, COUNT 19 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT. Child O, allegation of murder. Prosecutors say Letby attacked the triplet boy by injecting him with air, overfeeding him with milk and inflicting trauma to his liver with "severe force". COUNT 20 GUILTY. Child P, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said the nurse targeted the triplet brother of Child O by overfeeding him with milk, injecting air and dislodging his breathing tube. COUNT 21 GUILTY. Child Q, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby injected the baby boy with liquid, and possibly air, down his feeding tube. COUNT 22 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
MPs call on Criminal Cases Review Commission chief executive to resign
The miscarriage of justice watchdog for England, Wales and Northern Ireland has continually failed to learn from its mistakes and its chief executive should follow the organisation's chair out the door, MPs have said. In a damning report on the leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the House of Commons justice committee said Karen Kneller had provided it with unpersuasive evidence and her position was no longer tenable. It said that the chief executive should follow in the footsteps of Helen Pitcher, who quit in January after an independent panel concluded she was no longer fit to be chair after the CCRC's failings over Andrew Malkinson. The justice committee's report, published on Friday, said the CCRC's delay in publishing Chris Henley KC's review into the handling of the Malkinson miscarriage of justice case and attempts to minimise the damage to its reputation represented a 'spectacular failure of leadership'. It accused Kneller of giving 'problematic' evidence to the committee as to the reasons for the delay and failing to acknowledge attempts by the CCRC to water down Henley's findings. The committee chair, Labour's Andy Slaughter, said: 'The committee cannot perform our scrutiny function if witnesses provide incomplete or partial responses to our questions. The information provided since the session establishes that Karen Kneller omitted important information that would have provided a more accurate account of how the CCRC handled the Henley report. 'As a result of our concerns regarding the performance of the CCRC and the unpersuasive evidence Karen Kneller provided to the committee, we no longer feel that it is tenable for her to continue as chief executive of the CCRC.' The committee also deemed justifications given by Kneller for her attendance at expensive training courses in France using public money to be unsatisfactory. The CCRC had 'deteriorated significantly' and required root and branch reform, the report found. Criticisms included the current lack of a chair, for which it said the Ministry of Justice bore some responsibility; the CCRC's struggle to secure a sufficient number of commissioners; and the move to fully remote working, which 'is out of step with the rest of the public sector and seems unsuited to the nature of their work'. The committee said that while Henley's review focused on one case, it had 'significant implications for the CCRC's overall approach to its casework. The mistakes made in relation to Andrew Malkinson's application should have been taken as evidence of systemic problems within the CCRC.' Slaughter said: 'For an organisation that is designed to identify failures within the criminal justice system, the CCRC's leadership has shown a remarkable inability to learn from its own mistakes.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The report comes 10 days after Peter Sullivan had his wrongful murder conviction quashed after 38 years in prison. The Labour peer and former justice secretary Charlie Falconer said that while it was true that when Sullivan first applied to the CCRC in 2008 forensic testing techniques were not sufficiently advanced to exonerate him, it should have proactively reviewed his case and more than 1,500 others when a more accurate test became available in 2013. Falconer said the CCRC was 'generally regarded as useless'. A CCRC spokesperson said it noted the committee's recommendations, adding: 'We look forward to an announcement on the appointment of an interim chair and to working with them in an organisation deeply committed to finding, investigating and referring potential miscarriages of justice.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Post Office to pay up to £2.8million to 555 victims of the Horizon IT scandal - after it published their names and addresses publicly online
The Post Office has agreed to compensate more than 500 former subpostmasters wrongfully convicted in the Horizon scandal - after bunging officials accidentally leaked their names and addresses on its website. In a staggering data breach, the Mail revealed last June how 555 Post Office victims had their personal details published on the company's website. It was described as an insult to injury by those whose lives have already been ruined by being falsely accused of stealing in Britain's biggest ever miscarriage of justice. The 555 former postmasters whose home addresses have been published were among the group involved in bringing High Court class litigation against the Post Office in 2019. Hundreds of innocents were bankrupted, jailed or driven to suicide after being wrongly accused of plundering their own tills between 1999 and 2015, when money appearing to be 'missing' from their branch accounts was really down to an IT glitch. According to the BBC, the individuals whose personal details were leaked will be compensated in what could cost the Post Office up to £2.8million. In a statement provided to the public broadcaster, the Post Office said victims would receive £5,000 or £3,500, depending on whether the address published last year was current, although higher claims may still be pursued. The statement said: 'We have written to all named individuals either directly, or via their solicitors. 'If there are any individuals whose name was impacted by last year's breach, but who have not received information about the payment for some reason, they can contact us or ask their solicitors if they have legal representation.' Law firm Freeths told the BBC 348 clients who had their data breached had already received payment. Lawyer Will Richmond-Coggan said: 'We welcome the progress we have made with this case, but there is still a long way to go to recognise the devastating impact of this breach for those affected.' More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for stealing because of false information from the Horizon IT system. Hundreds are still awaiting compensation despite the previous government announcing that those who have had convictions quashed are eligible for £600,000 payouts. The Post Office has paid out roughly £438million to 3,100 claimants. A Post Office spokesperson said: 'Post Office can confirm that it has agreed to pay individuals whose names appeared in last year's data breach either £5,000 or £3,500, depending on whether the individual was also living at the address at that time. 'Post Office has confirmed that it will consider any special cases if any individuals consider they are entitled to further amounts. 'We have written to all named individuals either directly, or via their solicitors. If there are any individuals whose name was impacted by last year's breach, but who have not received information about the payment for some reason, they can contact us or ask their solicitors if they have legal representation. 'In the meantime we remain in full cooperation with the ICO's investigation which was opened following our initial self-referral when the breach was discovered.'
The Independent
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
More miscarriages of justice like Peter Sullivan ‘inevitable', top lawyer warns
It is "absolutely inevitable" there will be other miscarriages of justice like that of Peter Sullivan, a barrister who led a damning review of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has warned. Chris Henley KC found the watchdog missed multiple opportunities to free wrongly jailed Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years for rape before he was cleared by DNA evidence, in an independent review last year. Speaking after Mr Sullivan's murder conviction was this week also overturned due to DNA evidence after 38 years in prison, making his case the longest-running miscarriage of justice in the UK, Mr Henley said there is a 'fundamental problem' with our appeals system. Asked if there would be more cases of this kind, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Yes, I think that's absolutely inevitable. I think the case of Peter Sullivan shows us once again that mistakes will be made. "And as part of the review process that I undertook, I urged the CCRC to review urgently and fundamentally every single case across their desk where DNA opportunities might arise, where the case was based, like this one was, on circumstantial evidence or even eyewitness evidence, which we know from the case of Andrew Malkinson, can also often be flawed." He added: "I think that there is a fundamental problem in relation to our appeal system generally, that it just won't face up to the fact that mistakes can be made. "It stubbornly wants to stick to the original flawed conviction." Mr Henley's report on Mr Malkinson's case found he could have been exonerated a decade earlier and laid bare a 'catalogue of failures' in the review body's handling of his case. Following its publication last year, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood called the CCRC's then-chair Helen Pitcher 'unfit' for the role. She resigned in January this year. Former justice secretary Lord Charlie Falconer also hit out after the case, claiming the CCRC is "unled and generally regarded as useless". Labour MP Kim Johnson, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Miscarriages of Justice, said Mr Sullivan's ordeal exposes 'deep, systemic failures in our justice system' and called for an independent inquiry into the case. She said the case should be a 'national wake-up call' and demanded 'root and branch' reform of the CCRC. Mr Sullivan was 30 when he was handed a life sentence for the brutal murder of the 21-year-old part-time florist Diane Sindall in Bebington, near Merseyside, in 1987. The 68-year-old's conviction was finally quashed at the Court of Appeal on Monday after his third bid to overturn it, after tests revealed his DNA was not present in samples preserved from the crime scene. He had first raised the issue of DNA evidence with the CCRC in 2008, but they did not refer his case to the Court of Appeal because they were advised tests would be unlikely to produce a DNA profile. More advanced testing techniques were used when he re-applied in 2021, uncovering the new DNA evidence which cleared his name. His lawyer Sarah Myatt said the pensioner, who is due to be freed from maximum security HMP Wakefield, wants to be "left in peace" to "resettle and readjust". She said he 'completely broke down' over the prison video-link as his conviction was quashed by Lord Justice Holroyde and a panel of judges. "He was very overwhelmed yesterday, as can be expected,' she said. "He joined on video link from prison for the hearing, and everybody in the courtroom could see his reaction when the reality sunk in and he realised what the decision was. He just completely broke down." Ms Myatt added: "He now needs to take some time to deal with the enormity of not only what happened yesterday and adjusting to that, but everything he's been through for the past nearly 40 years. "He is such a private man. What he wants is to be left in peace, to just resettle and readjust." Despite being eligible for parole after 16 years in prison, Mr Sullivan refused to admit his guilt to the Parole Board and he was never released. "He said: 'I cannot admit to something I haven't done', even though that meant that the Parole Board would consider things in that way,' Ms Myatt added. Discussing whether she thought Mr Sullivan's 1987 conviction for murder would ever be quashed, Ms Myatt said: "I always felt it would come at some point. "Peter was always so hopeful, so positive, working so positively, that it always felt that it would happen. "When we received the news that the DNA results had come through and that evidence was there (to clear him), I will remember that phone call for the rest of my career and beyond." A CCRC spokesperson said that despite the DNA evidence not being available in 2008, the organisation did "regret that we were not able to identify Mr Sullivan's conviction as a potential miscarriage of justice in our first review". "As an organisation, we are committed to taking forward learning from previous reviews, and we continue to develop our understanding around forensic opportunities,' they added.
The Guardian
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
ITV's Mr Bates vs the Post Office stars at Bafta TV awards
Mr Bates vs the Post Office took centre stage at the Bafta television awards on Sunday, winning an award and being praised for showcasing the power of television to 'change hearts and minds' and forcing positive change. The show won best limited drama, ITV was given a special award for commissioning the show, and BBC One won the current affairs gong for a Post Office special on BBC Breakfast. 'This story only had the impact it did because the people that watched it stood up and demanded action with rage,' said the drama's producer Patrick Spence in his acceptance speech. 'May it be a warning to those who are supposed to have our backs. We cannot abide liars and bullies.' He thanked audiences for their engagement in the series. 'Our show didn't change the law, the people of this nation did that,' he said. Mr Bates vs the Post Office won in a category thought to be tightly contested, up against Baby Reindeer. The ITV drama spotlighted one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history, influenced policy change in government and reopened the case to seek justice for post office operators wrongly accused of theft and fraud. ITV's director of television, Kevin Lygo, used his speech in collecting the special award to push public service broadcasters. 'At a time when funding is tricky but not impossible, ITV and the BBC must continue to make these stories which hold power to account,' he said. 'We will continue to make them. As long as we are here, we will continue to do it.' He signed off by demanding payouts for wronged post office operators who have not yet been received funds from a compensation scheme. 'Will you hurry up and pay these people what they are due,' he said in a message to the government. The Bafta chair, Sara Putt, commended the show in the opening speech of the night. 'This is public service television at its best and shows the power of TV to change hearts and minds,' she told the ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Putt also call for more gender equality and recognition of disabled people in television. 'The talent is there; we need to create access to the pipelines that recognise, support, and highlight that talent,' she said. The leading actress Bafta went to the rising star Marisa Abela for her portrayal of Yasmin in the drama Industry. She was holding back tears of joy reading her speech. 'I booked Industry when I was in my final year of drama school and my agent who was in my final performance is here tonight – thank you!' she said. One of the biggest surprises of the night came as the Northern Irish police drama Blue Lights picked up the drama series Bafta. 'Thank you to the people of our home city for letting us tell your stories,' said the writer Declan Lawn. 'Belfast, this one's for you.' Lennie James won the leading actor award for his portrayal of Barrington Walker in Mr Loverman, the story of a closeted Antiguan Londoner whose marriage collapses after it emerges he has been having a decades-long affair with his male best friend. James's voice quaked when he thanked Bernardine Evaristo, who wrote the novel on which the show is based, for 'trusting us with your characters. What a night!' Ariyon Bakare won supporting actor for his turn as Morris De La Roux, the secret gay partner of Walker in Mr Loverman. Fighting back tears, Bakare said: 'This award stands on the shoulders of those before me, those who have been afraid to come out, to be who they want to be. I hope you feel just as confident as we did when we made the show.' After a sweltering sun had lit up London's South Bank during the day, stars took over on the night. British television's biggest names swaggered down the red carpet and into the Royal Festival Hall. Some stopped for interviews and all stopped for photographs, the atmosphere buzzing as stars paraded down the carpet in flamboyant dress. Jessica Gunning won supporting actress for playing the stalker Martha in Baby Reindeer. She teared up thanking her team and the show's creator Richard Gadd, telling the audience the show had changed her life. 'This time last year, Richard and I were stood backstage waiting to go out to present an award,' she said. 'Little did we know what the year had in store for us.' The Jury: Murder Trial was a surprising win in the reality TV category, pipping the favourite The Traitors to the award. The journalist Kirsty Wark accepted a Bafta lifetime achievement award for her outstanding contribution to news and current affairs broadcasting. She looked back on her career in her speech. 'I've been lucky to interview everyone from politicians to painters, architects to economists. It takes a village to raise a programme,' she said. Danny Dyer scooped up the male performance in a comedy award for his role as X in Mr Bigstuff. 'The acting was so bad – it was funny,' he joked in his speech. Dropping out expletives and cupping his mouth as they fell, he finished by speaking directly to his daughters in the audience: 'I done it, girls, I fuckin' done it.' Ruth Jones won female performance in a comedy for her portrayal of Ness in Gavin and Stacey. She arrived on stage in character and joked to the ceremony: 'I'm not gonna lie, this is immense. I wasn't expecting this no way. I won a Bafta before, of course I did, in 1976 – it was crackin'.' She became Ruth Jones again after a chorus of laughter from the crowd. 'The person I would like to thank the most is my dear, dear, talented, lovely, funny friend James Corden, with whom I have shared this astonishing journey for the past 17 years, and without whom Vanessa Shanessa Jenkins would not exist.' Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods won in the single documentary category. 'People are still fighting out there and we're just really proud that we were able to tell these stories,' said Jamie Roberts, the programme's director. 'I hope we can continue to make documentaries like this. It's what we live for.'
