LUCY LETBY CASE: NEW MEDICAL EVIDENCE KEEPS CONVICTIONS UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY

NEW QUESTIONS ARE BEING RAISED ABOUT THE MEDICAL EVIDENCE BEHIND LUCY LETBY’S CONVICTIONS — BUT HER SENTENCES HAVE NOT BEEN OVERTURNED.

The Lucy Letby case continues to generate intense public debate as new medical evidence and arguments challenging parts of the prosecution case are being examined by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Letby, the former neonatal nurse, remains in prison serving 15 whole-life orders after being convicted across two trials of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

But the legal battle surrounding her convictions is not over.

The CCRC is currently reviewing material submitted on Letby’s behalf to determine whether there is a potential miscarriage of justice that should be referred back to the Court of Appeal.

THE CASE IS NOW BACK UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The latest developments centre heavily on the scientific and medical evidence presented during Letby’s trials.

A group of international experts has challenged aspects of the medical interpretation used to support some of the convictions.

Among them is Canadian neonatologist Professor Shoo Lee, who has argued that some of the babies’ collapses and deaths could have alternative medical explanations.

The Independent reported that an expert panel convened by Lee claimed there was no medical evidence supporting the conclusion that Letby murdered the babies, while suggesting natural causes or medical complications could explain some of the events. These are defence-side arguments and have not overturned the convictions.

A MAJOR REVIEW IS ALREADY UNDERWAY

The CCRC confirmed in February that its review of Letby’s convictions is underway.

The commission has received multiple expert reports and submissions from her legal team, including further material submitted as recently as January 2026.

Its role is not to decide whether Letby is innocent or guilty.

Instead, the CCRC examines whether new evidence or new arguments create a real possibility that a conviction would not be upheld, in which case it can refer the case back to an appellate court.

That means the current review should not be interpreted as a finding that Letby has been cleared.

NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT MATERNITY RECORDS

One of the most significant recent developments concerns maternity records belonging to the babies involved in the case.

A BBC investigation reported that maternity notes had been seized by police but were not provided to Letby’s defence before her trials.

Those records contained information about pregnancy, labour and birth — information some medical experts argue can be important when trying to determine why a newborn later deteriorated.

Dr Dewi Evans, the prosecution’s chief medical expert, said he did not believe the full maternity records would have changed his conclusions.

But Professor Phil Bennett, an obstetrics and gynaecology expert at Imperial College London, told the BBC that it was surprising that so little attention had apparently been paid to the maternity history.

The significance of those records remains a matter of expert disagreement.

TWO EXPERTS RECENTLY LEFT LETBY’S DEFENCE TEAM

Another major development emerged in September.

Two experts who had previously contributed to Letby’s defence case — chemical engineering expert Helen Shannon and bioengineering professor Geoff Chase — withdrew from the defence team over concerns about some of the arguments being advanced.

They continued to stand by their assessment that it was very unlikely that two of the babies had been deliberately poisoned with insulin.

However, they said they could not support other arguments being presented by the defence because they believed those arguments were inconsistent with available evidence and established science.

Letby’s barrister Mark McDonald disputed the significance of their withdrawal, saying the defence had evidence from multiple international experts that he argued fundamentally undermined the scientific basis of the prosecution case.

THE CONVICTIONS STILL STAND

Despite the new arguments, there has been no court ruling overturning Letby’s convictions.

In May 2024, the Court of Appeal refused her application for permission to appeal on the grounds presented at that time.

The CCRC review is therefore particularly significant because it could determine whether some of the newly submitted evidence warrants another referral to the Court of Appeal.

Until such a referral is made and an appeal court rules otherwise, the convictions remain legally valid.

THE THIRLWALL INQUIRY RAISED A DIFFERENT SET OF QUESTIONS

The public inquiry chaired by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall also examined what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Its focus was on the hospital’s management, whether concerns raised by doctors were handled appropriately and whether opportunities were missed to protect babies.

The inquiry was not established to determine whether Letby was guilty or innocent, and its conclusions did not overturn her criminal convictions.

The inquiry nevertheless highlighted serious concerns about management failures and delays in involving police after doctors raised concerns.

A SEPARATE CPS DECISION

There was also another important development in August.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that its decision not to bring additional charges against Letby over six other infants had been independently reviewed.

The CPS said the review reconsidered six alleged attempted-murder offences and upheld the original decision not to bring further charges.

This decision is separate from the existing convictions and the CCRC review.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

For now, the most important development is the ongoing CCRC examination.

The commission has emphasized that it makes impartial, evidence-based decisions and does not determine guilt or innocence itself.

If it concludes that the new evidence creates a real possibility that a conviction would not be upheld, it can refer the case back to the Court of Appeal.

If that happens, judges would then have to consider the evidence and arguments under the legal rules governing criminal appeals.

For the families of the babies involved, Letby and her defence team, and the wider public, the case remains deeply contested.

What is clear is that new questions are being examined.

What is not yet clear is whether those questions will ultimately change any of the convictions.

For now, Lucy Letby remains in prison, while the independent review of her case continues.