A leading neonatologist is set to intervene in Lucy Letby’s case after he claimed his research was misrepresented to help convict the former nurse. On Tuesday, Dr. Shoo Lee will reveal details of an independent review carried out by 14 international medical experts concerning the causes of death or collapse of the 17 babies Letby, 35, was accused of harming. Letby is currently serving 15 whole-life sentences for seven murders and seven attempted murders of infants under her care between 2015 and 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
During her trial, retired consultant paediatrician Dr. Dewi Evans provided evidence about Letby allegedly targeting several infants by injecting air directly through their bloodstream. The prosecution contended this caused air embolisms, blocking their blood supply and leading to sudden, deadly collapses. Dr. Evans referenced Dr. Lee's 1989 academic paper investigating air embolism as supporting evidence for his theory. Recently, Dr. Lee criticized how his research was represented to the jury at Manchester Crown Court, stating, “I wasn’t happy because what they wereinterpreting wasn’t exactly what I said,” as reported by The Sunday Times.
Dr. Lee emphasized the rarity of air embolism, detailing two specific signs experienced infants would show: the Lee sign, indicating skin discoloration, and the Liebermeister sign presenting pale areas on the tongue. He stated both signs were absent among the infants allegedly harmed by Letby. “Those infants should not have been diagnosed,” Dr. Lee added. “Air embolism is very rare and should not be diagnosed simply by excluding other causes.”
The neonatologist’s review involves renowned experts from six countries, including the USA, Canada, Japan, and Sweden. Dr. Lee explained, “I wanted to have experts whose reputations and credibility were beyond reproach, so they could provide authoritative opinions about what happened.”
Mark McDonald, Letby’s barrister, confirmed her active engagement with the developments surrounding her case, stating she is “very much engaged” and continues to protest her innocence. This review heralds her final opportunity to assert the claims she has long maintained—that she is the victim of judicial error. “This international panel is her final hope to show what she has been saying all along is right,” said McDonald.
Since Letby’s conviction, questions have arisen about the integrity of the evidence presented. Dr. Lee questioned the validity of the conclusions drawn during Letby’s trial, stating, “What I can say is the evidence was used to convict her, wasn’t quite right. We came to very definite conclusions about what happened with each case.” He is set to detail findings from the independent review during a press conference alongside Letby’s legal team and Conservative MP Sir David Davis, who has called for her retrial.
Previously undisclosed police notes have surfaced, alleging the jury lacked information about Letby being absent from many incidents at the hospital, leading to concerns about the fairness of the trial. Unherd news website reported, “Letby was the one common denominator in all unexpected deaths or collapses,” which remains contentious.
Following the revelations, calls for her retrial have intensified, with Sir David Davis asserting, “It is clear this case is a miscarriage of justice.” The inquiry raised by the government will also examine how speculation surrounding Letby’s actions caused “enormous additional distress” to the parents of her alleged victims.
Dr. Lee’s intervention and the potential re-evaluation of the evidence may have significant repercussions not just for Letby, but for the broader field of neonatal healthcare, potentially affecting how medical experts approach and convey scientific information related to pediatric care.