LUCY Letby cops are distracting us from the real evidence that shows the nurse is “innocent” by announcing hospital staff could face prosecution, an expert has claimed.
Professor Richard Gill, a statistical misrepresentation consultant, says cops’ latest update is nothing more than a distraction, and they should instead focus on the evidence which will free her.
PANurse Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders for killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the hospital[/caption]
SWNSThe killer nurse has twice failed to appeal her convictions[/caption]
AlamyPolice have widened their investigation to look into gross negligence manslaughter for staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital[/caption]
Detectives said last night staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital could now face corporate manslaughter charges amid growing concern Letby was the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
On Monday, the Thirlwall Inquiry will reconvene to conclude its examination into events at the hospital at the time of the baby deaths for which Letby, 35, was convicted.
She is serving 15 whole-life orders after two trials at Manchester Crown Court found her guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, between June 2015 and June 2016.
‘DIVERSIONARY TACTIC’
Mathematician Prof Gill has helped free multiple medical professionals wrongfully convicted of killing patients, including Dutch nurse Lucia de Berk and Italian nurse Daniela Poggiali.
He has previously argued he can also prove Letby’s innocence.
Speaking to The Sun today, he said he believes the police are using a “diversionary tactic”.
Corporate manslaughter occurs when a company’s gross negligence in managing or organising its activities leads to a person or persons’ death.
Prof Gill said the outcome “will be interesting” and says hospital bosses who are dragged into the investigation “can pay for top lawyers, and they can get good expert advice” to fight any potential conviction.
He believes the police announcement distracts from the lack of smoking gun evidence – and is convinced the deaths occurred due to changes introduced which meant greater numbers of “doomed” patients were admitted on the ward.
Prof Gill said: “NHS statistics show that the increase in mortality can be fully explained by changes in admissions policy.
“I think this is a diversionary tactic by the police which will back fire on them.”
He also plans to join protesters arguing Letby is the victim of a miscarriage of justice, outside Liverpool Town Hall next week.
A spokesperson for the organisers said: “It is clear that Lucy Letby is innocent and that her conviction is a travesty of justice on par with the Post Office scandal, the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six.
“Yet the Thirlwall Inquiry is simply rubber-stamping this wrongful conviction.”
Referring to the demonstration, Prof Gill said: “The best hope is a good turnout. I expect there to be hundreds, I don’t expect there to be thousands.
“I expect it to be small, intimate and friendly, I doubt there will be any opposition there. We’re hoping for TV cameras.
“I told the organisers I would be there and they asked if I’d like to be on the podium.
“I want to keep a low profile and not get arrested by the police or be involved in any brawling,” he joked.
Timeline of horror – how Letby targeted babies
LUCY Letby carried out her horrific crimes over a 12-month 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.
It comes after Letby’s lawyer Mark McDonald said police have made a “huge mistake” with their latest assertion.
He said expert evidence compiled by her defence team “points the finger” in a “very different direction” from where the police are looking.
The force said suspects had been identified and notified in connection with the investigation into baby deaths between 2012 and 2016.
Mr McDonald said: “It is astonishing that on the eve of the legal argument to stop the Thirlwall Inquiry, the police have decided to issue a press release discussing gross negligence manslaughter.
“We now have substantial and significant expert evidence which completely demolishes the prosecution case against Lucy Letby and points the finger in a very different direction to that which the police are currently looking.
“It is time they take a step back and ask themselves whether have they made a huge mistake.”
Earlier, in a statement, Cheshire Police said: “In October 2023 following the lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Constabulary launched an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
“This focuses on senior leadership and their decision-making to determine whether any criminality has taken place concerning the response to the increased levels of fatalities.
“As our inquiries have continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter.”
The statement continued: “This is a separate offence to corporate manslaughter and focuses on the grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals.
“It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.
“Those identified as suspects have been notified. We will not be confirming the number of people involved or their identity as no arrests or charges have yet been made.
“Both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are continuing and there are no set timescales for these.
“Our investigation into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing.
“Our priority is to maintain the integrity of our ongoing investigations and to support the many families who are at the heart of these.”
Last month an international panel of neonatologists and paediatric specialists told reporters bad medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the collapses and deaths.
Their evidence has been passed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, and Letby’s legal team hope her case will be referred back to the Court of Appeal.
A spokesperson at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “Due to the Thirlwall Inquiry and the ongoing police investigations, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Prof Richard Gill is convinced Lucy Letby is innocent
PAA court sketch of Letby standing trial[/caption]
AlamySupporters of Letby demonstrate outside the High Court in London during her appeal hearing[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
