DOCTOR WHO FIRST ACCUSED LUCY LETBY SAYS HE IS NO LONGER CERTAIN OF HER GUILT AND CALLS FOR RETRIAL

A retired paediatrician whose evidence helped build the case against Lucy Letby has said he is no longer certain she was responsible for the deaths and collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital — and believes a retrial could be the most appropriate way forward.

Dr John Gibbs, one of three consultants whose evidence was heard during the trials, has publicly questioned his previous certainty about the case in a new interview with The Sun.

The comments come just days after the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry report, which found serious failures in management, governance and safeguarding at the hospital’s neonatal unit.

However, the inquiry explicitly stated that it was not an investigation into Letby’s criminal convictions or guilt.

‘I AM NOT CERTAIN’

Dr Gibbs was asked whether he remained certain that Letby had killed the babies.

His answer was simply: “No.”

The retired paediatrician also said he had a “very small concern” that there may not have been deliberate harm in some of the cases at all.

He told The Sun that, if Letby were in prison for crimes she had not committed, that would be “clearly appalling”.

Dr Gibbs said he believed a retrial could be “the most appropriate thing for everyone”, while acknowledging that he did not agree with every argument being advanced by those now challenging the convictions.

He also said that if Letby was not responsible, he did not believe another person was secretly harming babies on the unit.

His comments represent a significant change in his publicly expressed position, because his evidence formed part of the medical evidence considered during the original prosecution.

LETBY REMAINS CONVICTED

Letby, now 36, was convicted in 2023 of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others.

She was later convicted in a 2024 retrial of another attempted murder charge.

She is serving 15 whole-life orders and has already had two attempts to challenge her convictions rejected by the Court of Appeal.

Letby has consistently denied murdering or deliberately harming babies in her care.

Her legal team has also been pursuing a separate challenge through the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is considering material submitted on her behalf.

If the CCRC considers that there is a basis for further action, it could potentially refer the case back to the Court of Appeal.

That process is separate from the Thirlwall Inquiry.

THIRLWALL INQUIRY FOUND SERIOUS HOSPITAL FAILINGS

The latest development comes shortly after Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall published the final report of her public inquiry on September 15.

The inquiry examined what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2018.

Its findings were highly critical of the hospital’s management and governance.

Lady Justice Thirlwall described dysfunctional management and governance, a serious disconnect between hospital leadership and clinicians, and failures to properly understand and use safeguarding procedures.

The report also examined how concerns about Letby were handled before her eventual removal from the neonatal unit.

But Lady Justice Thirlwall made an important clarification.

The inquiry was not established to determine whether Letby was guilty or innocent.

She said it was not for the inquiry to second-guess the criminal courts or interfere with the work of the CCRC.

MEDICAL EVIDENCE REMAINS A MAJOR POINT OF DISPUTE

Questions about the medical evidence have become an increasingly important part of Letby’s ongoing legal challenge.

A group of medical experts has raised concerns about some of the interpretations used during the original trials.

Canadian neonatologist Professor Shoo Lee has argued that evidence concerning air embolism was misinterpreted.

Other experts involved in the review have pointed to problems at the neonatal unit, including staffing, training, workload and the management of seriously ill babies.

Those arguments have been submitted to the CCRC as part of the material supporting Letby’s potential appeal.

However, these expert disagreements do not themselves overturn the convictions.

The prosecution evidence accepted by the trial juries remains the legal basis for Letby’s convictions unless a court subsequently changes that position.

DR GIBBS SAYS THE CENTRAL QUESTION REMAINS UNANSWERED

Dr Gibbs said that the central issue for him is understanding why so many babies collapsed or died at the neonatal unit during 2015 and 2016.

He acknowledged that he could see merit in some of the arguments being made by experts questioning the convictions, while also saying he disagreed with aspects of many of their opinions.

That position is more cautious than an outright declaration that Letby is innocent.

Instead, Dr Gibbs is calling for the evidence to be examined again and for the possibility of a retrial to be considered if the new material meets the necessary legal threshold.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

For now, there is no retrial ordered and no decision overturning Letby’s convictions.

The CCRC continues to consider material relating to her case.

The Court of Appeal has previously rejected two attempts to challenge the convictions, meaning any further referral would need to satisfy the legal requirements for a fresh appeal.

Meanwhile, the Thirlwall Inquiry’s findings have added another layer to the debate by documenting serious failures within the hospital — while making clear that those findings do not determine whether Letby committed the offences for which she was convicted.

Dr Gibbs’s new comments are therefore significant because they come from a doctor who previously provided evidence in the case.

But legally, the position remains unchanged: Lucy Letby remains convicted and is serving 15 whole-life orders, while her legal team continues to pursue avenues for further review of the case.