Cheshire Constabulary Responds to David Davis's Criticism of Letby Investigation
The police force responsible for investigating Lucy Letby has issued a strongly worded public rebuttal following criticism from David Davis, a Conservative former cabinet minister, who called for a review of the case.
Davis, who last year stated that Letby had suffered, claimed that Cheshire Constabulary focused excessively on suspecting Letby in the deaths of babies at the Countess of Chester hospital. He accused the force of making “egregious failures” by not adhering to guidelines and best practices, including in the appointment of expert witnesses.
Davis further argued that the Cheshire force failed to learn from its past mistakes, referencing the investigation of Sally Clark, a mother who in 1999 was wrongly convicted based on flawed medical statistical evidence.
He announced his intention to urge the director of public prosecutions to “review the behaviour” of both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Cheshire Constabulary.
In response, Cheshire Constabulary characterized the growing concerns about the evidence that led to Letby’s conviction as the actions of a group “spreading misinformation, making baseless claims and attempting to destroy reputations.” The force rejected all of Davis’s criticisms.
“Cheshire constabulary strongly refutes all the points made during the adjournment debate,”
“It implied impropriety on the part of Cheshire constabulary where none whatsoever has been established. We remain confident in the integrity of the investigation, the conduct of the prosecution, and the decisions reached by the courts.”
Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others in 2015 and 2016 while working as a nurse in the neonatal unit at Chester hospital. She received 15 whole-life orders, and the court of appeal denied her permission to appeal.
Since the convictions, numerous leading UK and international medical and scientific experts have contended that the babies died or collapsed due to natural causes and inadequate care in the unit, asserting that Letby was wrongly convicted.
The renowned Canadian neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee has consistently criticized the prosecution’s medical expert witnesses. Lee convened a panel of 14 leading experts to review the medical evidence, concluding last year that there was no evidence of deliberate harm or any other wrongdoing.
Letby’s lawyer, Mark McDonald, has submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, to have her case referred back to the court of appeal. This application is supported by reports from 27 experts. The CCRC is currently reviewing the submission.
Cheshire Constabulary's Statement on Ongoing Criticism
In its response to Davis’s speech, Cheshire Constabulary stated:
“Over the past two years, the force has come under constant criticism and has been intensely scrutinised and subject to unpleasant opinion from a core group of individuals who appear to pride themselves on spreading misinformation, making baseless claims and attempting to destroy reputations.
“While scrutiny of policing is legitimate and welcome, it is essential that such scrutiny is grounded in fact and does not inadvertently cut across due process, ongoing legal considerations, or the independence of the judiciary.
“The constant noise surrounding this case, inaccurate or partial information being presented as fact and attempts to hijack the perceived narrative risk undermining public confidence not only in this case, but in the wider criminal justice system.
“Public confidence is best served by evidence-based discussion and responsible commentary – not ill-informed personal opinions and inaccurate details. We are committed to victim-focused justice, public confidence and the rule of law.
“Our thoughts remain with the families of the babies, who have always been at the heart of this case.”
Responding to the police statement on Friday afternoon, Davis said:
“I am unsurprised by the response from Cheshire police; this is entirely consistent with their behaviour throughout.”
He reiterated his call from the speech, stating that “if Cheshire police believe they behaved entirely appropriately” they should provide investigation documents to Letby’s lawyers, including senior officer policy and decision books, records of identified lines of inquiry and potential suspects, and notes of meetings with expert witnesses and the National Crime Agency.
Further Investigations and CPS Decisions
Following the convictions, Cheshire Constabulary conducted an extensive investigation into Letby’s nursing work prior to 2015. This led to the force submitting a file to the CPS alleging that she murdered and attempted to murder two children who had died, and attempted to murder seven others who survived.
In January, the CPS announced that “the evidential test was not met in any of those cases” and that no further charges would be pursued.
