An unbelievable turn of events regarding the massive outrage known as the Lucy Letby case has had brand new evidence placed which could potentially prove her innocence an expert has claimed.
Traces of an unknown ‘deadly bug’ that had killed three babies – and three adults – at a Glasgow hospital were the same as found in the Countess of Chester hospital where Letby was convicted for murdering seven babies and attempted murder of seven others between 2015 and 2016.
Letby’s lawyers had uncovered the waterborne bacterium in the endotracheal tube of Baby I in February last year.
Her trial highlighted how she had killed the baby girl on the fourth attempt after a deliberate fatal overdose of air and overfeeding her with milk.
The health board NHS Greater Glasgow has now admitted that on the ”balance of probabilities” the hospital water system could have caused infections.
Dr Martyn Pitman, a former consultant has commented that the same line of enquiry must also be pursued at Countess of Chester as it could dig up evidence that would prove Letby wasn’t responsible for the babies deaths.
”It is hugely relevant and important – it always has been”
Dr Pitman was sacked in 2023 after he was involved in a major whistleblowing campaign against maternity patient safety.
Experts working with Letby’s lawyers had noted that the hospital had suffered with ”poor plumbing and drainage” and needed ”intensive” cleaning.
Evidence that was presented at her trial had also confirmed the multiple sewage and plumbing issues at the Countess of Chester.
Some of the issues involved ”foul water” in the sinks, as well as drainage problems and significant flood in the neonatal unit until January 2016.
There were claims that nappy pads were sometimes placed in the ceiling voids above the unit to catch sewage leaking from the pipes.
Dr Pitman acknowledged how when the leaks were confirmed, the units should have been closed ”and the vulnerable babies moved out and/or transferred to other units until the issue has been sorted and cultures were negative.”
He suspects that details of more infected babies will emerge over time.
Letby’s defence team had re-examined the medical notes of one of the babies, and had seen how the bacterium could have blocked her endotracheal tube which would have interfered with ventilation which then would have caused her to be starved of oxygen.
Shoo Lee, a top neonatologist, had commented after the re-examine of the baby deaths, on “If the water system of a hospital is contaminated, it is a major risk factor for the health of patients.”
A 2018 review of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow had been identified as to be having the widespread contamination of the water system, which had been the apparent cause of 84 people falling ill since 2015.
Letby’s legal team have sent an appeal application to Criminal Cases Review Commission which will review possible miscarriages of justice.
