Lucy Letby latest: Doctor revealing 'new medical evidence' questioning killer nurse's guilt

'No evidence of air embolism' in another baby

Dr Shoo Lee is running through specific cases of babies killed by Letby that have been analysed by the team of neonatal experts he assembled. 

Next he discusses the case of Baby Four, who was born via an emergency caesarean section.

Letby was found guilty of killing this baby by injecting air into its bloodstream, which caused an air embolism.

But the doctor says the independent panel "did not find evidence of air embolism" when reviewing the baby's medical records. Instead, it found the baby died of systemic sepsis, pneumonia and disseminated intravascular coagulation.

He says the mother should have received antibiotics and there was a delay in recognising respiratory distress in the baby after birth.

Thrombosis killed baby - not air embolism, claims former doctor

Letby was convicted for attacking and killing infants by various means while a nurse on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

One such method was injecting air into the bloodstream, which caused an air embolism that blocked the blood supply and led to sudden and unexpected collapses.

But Dr Shoo Lee says: "The notion that these cases are air embolisms because [the babies] collapse and because there were skin rashes has no basis in evidence. Let's be clear about that." 

He runs through what the panel found during their review and concludes: "Baby One died from thrombosis. There was no evidence of air embolism."

Thrombosis is a condition where a blood clot forms in a blood vessel, blocking blood flow.

Experts spent 'days and weeks' going through each case

Retired neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee says the panel examined the cases of all 17 babies in the Lucy Letby case.

He says he will discuss only a few cases today in brief: "If we have to go through all the details we will be here forever."

The independent analysis done by the panel of experts took "days and days and sometimes weeks" for each case, he says.

'Very experienced and well-known experts' on panel

Dr Shoo Lee, chair of the panel, is explaining its purpose.

Its 14 members were asked to review the medical records in the case and determine each infant's cause of death, he says.

Each death was examined by two experts independently.

Then the experts reviewed and commented on the case's expert witness statements. Finally, they sent Lee an independent report.

The panel was made up of "very experienced and well-known experts" from six nations, he says.

It includes 10 neonatologists, a paediatric surgeon, a paediatric infectious disease specialist and a neonatal intensive care nurse. 

'We're here to tell the truth,' expert tells parents of Letby's victims

Dr Shoo Lee, who led the independent analysis of the medical evidence being presented this morning, is next to speak.

He first has a message for the parents of Lucy Letby's victims, saying his "work is not meant to cause more distress" but is meant to give "comfort and assurance in knowing the truth about what really happened", he says.

"We know that they want to know the truth, and that is why we are here. To tell the truth," he says.

Senior Tory MP: Letby case is 'major injustice of modern times'

Senior Tory MP Sir David Davis is introducing the panel of experts at the news conference by Lucy Letby's lawyers. 

He says retired neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee, who convened the 14-member panel, will speak to "put right what I think is one of the major injustices of modern times".

News conference starting shortly

The news conference by Lucy Letby's legal team is set to start in the next few minutes.

They claim they have "new medical evidence" to announce that would undermine the nurse's murder convictions and say it's based on the unanimous findings of independent analysis made by 14 neonatal experts.

Lawyers for the convicted child serial killer applied yesterday to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate her case as a potential miscarriage of justice.

Dr Shoo Lee, a retired neonatologist, will present the new evidence at the news conference this morning.

Retired doctor says his research was misused to convict Letby

Dr Shoo Lee, a retired neonatologist, will present the "new medical evidence" at the news conference this morning. 

A 1989 academic paper written by Lee on air embolism was referenced in court when the prosecution accused Lucy Letby of targeting infants by injecting air into their bloodstream, blocking the blood supply.

Asked to review the court transcripts by Lebty's legal team, Lee told the Sunday Times he "wasn't very happy" with how his paper was interpreted.

He convened a panel of 14 experts from the UK, US, Canada, Japan, Sweden and Germany to review the evidence.

Each baby in the case was randomly assigned to two of them to independently review.

"The instructions have been very simple," he told The Sunday Times. 

"First, look at the medical records and decide what you feel is the cause of death or injury and what is the evidence for it.

"Second, look at the medical experts' statements, see whether they are consistent with what you have said and whether you would change your opinion based on what they have said. 

"And then third, issue an independent report, based on what you've seen."

Prosecution expert 'very concerned people are getting facts wrong'

Retired consultant paediatrician Dr Dewi Evans was the lead prosecution medical expert at Letby's trial and his evidence on the cause of death or collapse in 17 babies was crucial in securing her convictions. 

Letby's lawyers have claimed his evidence was "unreliable".

With his testimony coming under renewed attack, he has told The Times he is "very concerned people are getting their facts wrong".

He stuck by his evidence, saying: "We're clinicians, we're scientists, we stick to facts."

Over the weekend, a report published by UnHerd alleged there were discrepancies between evidence Evans gave to senior detectives from Cheshire Police and the National Crime Agency and his testimony in court. 

Responding to this allegation, Evans told The Times the notes from the police interviews reflected his thinking at the time and evidence "evolves as you get more information".

"The UnHerd article started off with a fact that was wrong in relation to Baby A, so I'm very concerned that people are getting their facts wrong."

Dr Evans has previously dismissed criticisms of his evidence by Letby's lawyers as "unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate".

Child killer Lucy Letby had two trials - but maintained 'I'm innocent'

Lucy Letby is the UK's most prolific child killer of modern times, serving 15 whole life terms.

In 2023, she was first convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

But the jury in her original trial couldn't reach a verdict on the charge that she also attempted to murder a premature baby, known as Baby K, in February 2016.

She was handed another whole life order for that in July last year at a retrial at Manchester Crown Court.

Letby, from Hereford, killed her victims by injecting the infants with insulin or air or force-feeding them with milk.

She angered the families of her victims when she refused to be present in court to be sentenced to the whole life orders in 2023.

However, she was in court in July wearing a black suit and blue blouse.

Sentencing Letby, Mr Justice Goss told her the attempted murder was "another shocking act of calculated, callous cruelty".

He added: "During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for any offences and sought to attribute wrongdoing to others.

"You have no remorse."

After he reiterated to Letby that she would spend the rest of her life in prison, she turned round as she was led from the dock and said: "I'm innocent."

What's this about - and why is a senior Tory MP involved?

Lucy Letby's legal team has already made two failed bids to challenge her convictions at the Court of Appeal.

But her lawyer Mark McDonald has said there will be a third attempt - and it appears they hope their findings revealed in today's news conference will give them more of a case this time.

Her team is preparing a fresh challenge to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the independent body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice, after exhausting two bids at the Court of Appeal.

Chairing today's panel is senior Tory MP Sir David Davis, who did not attend the child serial killer's trials but has become convinced her convictions are unsafe. Last week, he used justice questions in the House of Commons to raise concerns on behalf of Letby's legal team.

He will be joined by McDonald and Dr Shoo Lee, a retired neonatologist who says he will reveal the new analysis by an international team of neonatal experts.

Her legal team has argued the lead prosecution medical expert at her trial was "not reliable".

Retired consultant paediatrician Dr Dewi Evans, however, said concerns regarding his evidence are "unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate".

A public inquiry into the murders was launched and findings by chairwoman Lady Justice Thirlwall are expected this autumn.

-SKY NEWS