Lucy Letby’s appeal team will tomorrow announce “new evidence” which they believe “significantly undermines” her convictions for murdering babies.
Lawyer Mark McDonald, who represents the killer neonatal nurse, who is serving 15 life sentences, said he would elaborate on “new developments” in the case.
McDonald said he will make his announcement tomorrow afternoon at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.
Letby, 34, was convicted of murdering seven babies and six attempted murders of babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016, following a trial last year. She was found guilty of a seventh attempted murder following a retrial in the summer.
Mr McDonald said: ‘There will be a press conference from Lucy Letby’s legal defense team to announce further developments in the case. At the conference we will also announce new evidence that significantly undermines the convictions.’
The lawyer declined to reveal further details ahead of the new evidence or what aspects of the prosecution he believes are unsafe.
McDonald has revealed that he met with more than 50 experts, spanning neonatology, pathology and statistics, willing to help challenge Letby’s convictions.
Evidence cited by supporters includes flaws in the door knock data used to indicate the location of several doctors and nurses when the baby collapses and the deaths occur.
Lucy Letby (pictured), 34, was convicted of murdering seven babies and six attempted murders of babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016, following a trial last year .
Lawyer Mark McDonald, who represents the killer neonatal nurse, who is serving 15 life sentences, said he would elaborate on “new developments” in the case.
McDonald said he will make his announcement tomorrow afternoon at the Royal Society of Medicine (pictured) in London.
The jury was also not told how internal and external reviews (by the hospital, public bodies, medical experts and pathologists) failed to find any evidence of foul play, supporters argue.
Other reasons include that jurors were not informed that the neonatal unit had suffered an outbreak of a virus called pseudomonas and that they had been criticized for being overcrowded and understaffed.
McDonald is a human rights lawyer whose previous cases include an unsuccessful challenge to Michael Stone, who was sentenced to three life sentences for the murders of Lin Russell, 45, and her six-year-old daughter Megan, who were found beaten to death in Chillenden. Kent, in July 1996.
He also represents Ben Geen, convicted of murdering two of his patients and poisoning 15 others at Horton General Hospital in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
Geen, then 25 years old, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum sentence of 30 years in 2006.
Previously, discussing the Letby case, McDonald said in September that he plans to take his case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), to request that it be returned to the Court of Appeal.
He said: ‘I knew almost from the beginning, after this trial, that there are strong arguments to prove that she is innocent.
Court artist’s drawing of Letby during his tour at Manchester Crown Court. Letby has been interviewed by detectives under caution in prison over further deaths and incidents where babies suffered “serious harm” at the Countess and also at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
‘The fact is that juries make mistakes. And yes, so does the Court of Appeals, history teaches us that.
The press conference takes place as the ongoing public inquiry into how Letby carried out his crimes, led by Lady Justice Thirlwall, takes a break to resume in the New Year.
Last week, it was revealed that detectives had interviewed Letby under caution in prison over further deaths and incidents in which babies suffered “serious harm” at the Countess and also at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she spent time in 2012. and early 2015.
Police previously said they are reviewing the care of the more than 4,000 babies Letby cared for during her career.