The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service has admitted a significant error in the evidence presented during the first trial of Lucy Letby, the nurse convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others. The error involved door-swipe data, which was used to track the movements of staff in the neonatal intensive care unit where Letby worked. This data played a crucial role in the prosecution’s case, as it was used to establish Letby’s presence at specific times when the infants suffered critical events.
The Crown Prosecution Service revealed that the door-swipe data was incorrectly labeled, leading to inaccurate information about the presence of staff in the ward. This error came to light during a retrial, where Letby was found guilty of attempting to murder a two-hour-old baby.
The prosecution acknowledged that the mistake was rectified during the retrial, and the accurate data was presented to the jury. However, the revelation of the initial error has raised concerns about the integrity of the first trial, particularly regarding the reliance on the incorrect door-swipe data.
Conservative MP David Davis has called for a thorough investigation into the timing errors made during the initial trial, emphasizing the vital role of the door-swipe data in establishing the presence of nurses and doctors at critical moments. Davis plans to initiate a parliamentary debate on the issue following the summer recess.
The initial trial had seen the prosecution argue that Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a consultant, had discovered Letby standing over Baby K at 3:50 am on February 17, 2016, while the baby’s condition was deteriorating. The prosecution initially claimed the door-swipe data showed the designated nurse had left the intensive care unit at 3:47 am. However, the amended data presented in the retrial revealed the nurse had returned to the ward at that time, indicating that Letby was not alone.
While both the prosecution and defense admitted their errors in the retrial, the revelation of the initial error has cast a shadow on the initial trial and the accuracy of the evidence presented. It has also prompted calls for a more comprehensive review of the case, particularly in light of the ongoing public inquiry led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, which is scheduled to commence in September. This inquiry will investigate how Letby was able to continue working with babies despite concerns raised by senior doctors. The outcome of this inquiry and the investigation into the errors in the first trial will be crucial in determining the extent of the flaws in the justice system that allowed Letby to continue her horrific crimes for so long.
