Child killer Lucy Letby has "new hope" of overturning her conviction, according to her barrister Mark McDonald. The 35-year-old is currently serving 15 whole-life sentences for murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.
McDonald was contacted by Letby's parents nearly a year ago to replace her previous solicitor and secure her release from prison. He described meeting the convicted killer as someone who had exhausted all previous legal avenues.
McDonald told the Sunday Times: "Remember, 12 months ago, she'd lost every argument. She had been saying that she was not guilty right from the beginning and nobody believed her. She went through a whole trial and she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal and she was convicted. She had a retrial; she was convicted. She went to the Court of Appeal again; she was convicted. And that was it. There, you have a broken person. But today, after everything that has happened in the last 12 months, she's got new hope."
Legal challenge gains momentum
The barrister has submitted "new evidence" to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice. He assembled a team of 14 neonatal and paediatric experts who reviewed the babies' medical records and held a press conference questioning the prosecution's case.
McDonald visits Letby monthly at Bronzefield prison in Surrey and speaks with her at least every fortnight. He told the Sunday Times: "I'm on holiday in Devon and I'm working on (the case). I had a telephone conference with Lucy yesterday. I won't stop. I will not stop until she is out."
Prosecution case under scrutiny
The defence team argues the conviction relied solely on medical theory without solid evidence. McDonald stated: "There's no forensic evidence. There's no CCTV. There's no eyewitness evidence. There's just a theory by a man called Dewi Evans," referring to the lead prosecution medical expert.
According to the Daily Mail, internal hospital documents show Letby herself had formally reported multiple care failures, including missing emergency medication and lack of medical equipment. Dr Stephen Brearey investigated these complaints before later requesting her removal from clinical duties.
Hospital arrests add complexity
Three senior members of staff at the Countess of Chester Hospital have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. The suspects held high-ranking positions between 2015 and 2016 and have been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Cheshire Police confirmed that inquiries into corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter are ongoing. In July, police submitted evidence of additional allegations related to infant deaths and collapses at hospitals where Letby worked.
McDonald described the timing as "very sensitive" and called for a comprehensive public inquiry into the hospital's failings. He believes winning the "public narrative" is crucial before pursuing the legal case, as "the Court of Appeal will know that the country is going to be looking at them."
Sources used: "Sunday Times", "Daily Mail", "Mirror", "Daily Record" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
