Sir David Davis has urged for Lucy Letby to be retried, suggesting that the NHS may be responsible for the baby deaths at her hospital. During a parliamentary session, Sir David raised concerns about the case, which was the first time it was formally discussed in the Commons. The Conservative former Brexit secretary, known for championing civil liberties and miscarriage of justice cases, spent eight months researching the matter. He highlighted that Letby, a neonatal nurse, received 15 life sentences for multiple murders at The Countess of Chester hospital. However, doubts have emerged as many experts have questioned the evidence presented during the trial. Sir David emphasized that there was no concrete proof against Letby and suggested that the hospital’s neonatal unit might have been inadequately equipped to care for the infants, leading to the tragic deaths. He criticized the judicial system for the handling of statistical and medical evidence, calling it a miscarriage of justice. Additionally, he pointed out the presence of a bacterial outbreak at the hospital during that time, which was not disclosed to the jury. The MP for Hereford, Jesse Norman, described Sir David’s remarks as troubling. In response, the justice minister stated that it would be inappropriate to comment on Letby’s case specifically and emphasized that the jury had deliberated based on the evidence provided. She acknowledged the impact on the families involved and stressed the importance of seeking closure for them.
The code for crown prosecutors has been broken after instructions were given to police not to pursue a proper statistical inquiry into whether nurse Lucy Letby’s presence at the deaths under investigation was significant. Professor Jane Hutton, an expert in medical statistics at Warwick University, was initially approached by Chester Police, who advised them that their approach was flawed. However, she was removed as an expert at the direction of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Sir David, a prominent figure in the case, emphasized the significance of the decision to dismiss Professor Hutton, stating that one of the key pieces of evidence in the case was a shift chart indicating Letby as the sole nurse on duty during the alleged incidents of murder and injury. Professor Hutton noted that the prosecution’s case had more flaws than that of Sally Clark, a mother who was wrongly convicted of murdering her two children before being exonerated.
Furthermore, new evidence from respected neonatologists has emerged, providing alternative explanations for the deaths of two infants involved in the case. Case reviews revealed troubling incidents, such as a consultant accidentally puncturing the liver of an infant known as “Baby O,” leading to severe internal bleeding, and another child, “Baby C,” receiving substandard care. Reviews for the remaining infants tied to Letby’s case are currently ongoing under her new defense team.
Sir David highlighted systemic issues within the hospital environment, suggesting that due to insufficient resources and inadequate medical management, the hospital failed to sustain the lives of vulnerable infants. He expressed concern that this case reflects a broader pattern of the National Health Service (NHS) failing to address and learn from its mistakes, potentially resulting in avoidable deaths across various healthcare institutions.
Investigations are ongoing into additional deaths that Letby might be implicated in, as reported by the Chester Standard. Letby has been denied the right to appeal her convictions, but her new barrister, Mark McDonald, is pursuing a review of the decision by the Court of Appeal and plans to engage the Criminal Cases Review Commission. The prosecution has defended Letby’s conviction, noting the extensive evidence provided by specialists and suggesting that the defense could have presented counter witnesses but chose not to do so.
Law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing further investigations and have not ruled out the possibility of bringing additional charges related to infant deaths at the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby was a trainee. Sir David, a longtime advocate for civil liberties, has previously opposed the implementation of ID cards and measures allowing police and security services to monitor individuals’ online activities, in addition to challenging government data-sharing agreements with private entities.
A seasoned parliamentarian, Sir David has used his platform to expose sensitive issues through parliamentary privilege, including revealing the identity of Nicola Sturgeon’s former chief of staff as the individual responsible for leaking allegations of sexual misconduct against Alex Salmond to the press. Initially elected in 1987, Sir David was a prominent candidate in the 2005 Conservative leadership race, ultimately losing to
