Lucy Letby inquiry will not be halted amid concerns over potential miscarriage of justice
19 March 2025, 15:37
The head of an inquiry into babies who died in nurse Lucy Letby's care has refused to put it on hold.
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Letby, 35, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders after she was convicted across two trials at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
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.
Senior managers at the hospital wanted it paused until her case has been investigated as concerns over a potential miscarriage of justice grew.
But on Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall refused their applications.
Evidence heard by the inquiry finished last month and the final report is set 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.
She added that continuing the report work would be unfair to her clients.
The former senior managers have also made A request to Health Secretary Wes Streeting calling for the suspension of 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 paused.
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 week, Lawyers for Letby claimed police are making a "huge mistake" after detectives admitted other hospital staff could now face manslaughter charges.
Earlier this week, Cheshire Constabulary said suspects had been identified and notified in connection to the probe into baby deaths between 2012 and 2016.
The force previously said it was carrying out an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the hospital and on Thursday, it said the probe had widened to gross negligence manslaughter.
Mark McDonald, representing Letby, continued to claimed last week that the nurse is the victim of a miscarriage of justice, adding that expert evidence compiled by her defence team "points the finger" in a "very different direction".
He 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."
In a statement, 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 enquiries have continued, the scope of the investigation has now widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter."
