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At least one more baby is likely to have been poisoned with insulin by Lucy Letby, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The cases of 91 babies who collapsed or died at the Countess of Chester Hospital while she was a nurse there have been examined by medical experts from the public prosecutor’s office during the first stage of the police investigation, can we also reveal.
Among them were the 17 children Letby originally accused of killing or injuring between June 2015 and June 2016. Last week, the 33-year-old was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder one. six more, making her the most prolific child killer. in modern British history.
Yesterday Dr Dewi Evans, the chief prosecution expert in the trial, said he would return to examine the remaining 74 children again and liaise with Cheshire officers, who confirmed that their investigation of Letby was ongoing.
Dr Evans told the Department of Health he had uncovered at least one other suspected case of insulin poisoning and another potential attempted murder, where he believed the baby had been injected with air but had survived.
The conviction of Lucy Letby for several murders depended on the medical evidence examined by the experts of the prosecution.
Dr Dewi Evans, the chief prosecution expert in the trial, said he would return to re-examine the remaining 74 children whose cases he had reviewed and would liaise with Cheshire officers.
His comments come as it emerged yesterday that two other families wanted police to investigate the deaths of their babies, believing they could have been killed by Letby.
The Daily Telegraph reported that the two mothers could be considered vulnerable: one of the women is from Lithuania and does not speak much English, while the other has learning difficulties and difficulties in reading and writing . They both believe Letby was present when they were in the hospital with their children.
The nurse appeared to have signed one baby’s christening book with a seemingly loving message, while the father of the other baby recognized Letby from media coverage of the trial.
Police contacted the families during their initial investigation, but they were not included in the initial case that went to trial.
Sources close to the investigation said at least 30 babies who suffered suspicious collapses and survived have already been identified by detectives.
When the police were finally called, in May 2017, Dr Evans received the medical records of 33 children to be assessed.
After Letby’s arrest and the publication of her photo, a year later, numerous other parents contacted the police, prompting officers to compile and send Dr. Evans the medical notes of 58 other babies.
“This woman didn’t show up one day and didn’t start giving the babies intravenous air,” Dr Evans said. “Letby had to do something before (June 2015).
“I believe there is at least one other case of insulin poisoning that warrants further investigation.” When I went back and checked my notes last week, I also found another child whose condition suddenly deteriorated, which I suspect was due to air being pumped into his blood. This child recovered and returned home.
Letby was convicted of the attempted murder of two boys, Baby F and Baby L, who were poisoned with insulin on the unit, eight months apart, in August 2015 and April 2016. She also attacked their twin brothers, murdering Baby E and attempting to kill Baby M.
The lawsuit found that although blood tests showed high levels of the drug in Baby F and Baby L, none of the doctors picked up the usual results, which were simply entered into the infants’ medical records without proper investigation. . This meant that Letby assumed she got away with it and that her killing spree continued.
It wasn’t until the medical records of both sets of twins were reviewed by police that someone realized that in addition to injecting the babies with air, she had poisoned them.
Cheshire Police have pledged to medically review the cases of 4,000 babies admitted to neonatal units at the Countess and Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby trained in 2012 and 2015, to ensure the ‘fingerprint’ of the career of the murderous nurse be carefully examined. .
They declined to speculate on the exact number of babies Letby may have injured, but did not rule out future charges or lawsuits.
Sources told the Mail that while a few deceased babies could be included in a future investigation, the majority of cases involve children who survived.
Dr Evans said: “I think there will be grounds for a second trial. I believe there is at least one other case of insulin poisoning and gas embolism. I’ll be returning to my 91 cases, not counting the babies Letby was convicted of murder or wounding, in the weeks ahead.
It has emerged that two other families want the police to investigate the deaths of their babies, believing they could have been killed by Letby.
While completing a three-year nursing degree at the University of Chester, Letby was placed in the local hospital where she later killed or maimed her victims.
Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Letby reacting to her solicitor Ben Myers’ final questions
According to the Times, prosecution witnesses have already been questioned about other suspicious incidents, including those that occurred as early as 2012.
Dr Evans also urged police to examine the 247 handover notes found at Letby’s and her parents’ homes, following her arrest in July 2018. “I don’t think she took them home for the posterity,” he said.
The prosecution suggested she took them as keepsakes of her victims and used them as crib sheets to search for their parents on Facebook, which she had a morbid fascination with.
Dr Evans said he was shocked by the revelations in recent days and added: “There must be a legal review and the police must investigate the leaders for manslaughter. It is absolutely horrible that they ignored the concerns of the consultants and, I am so sorry to say, this is gross negligence on everyone’s part.
“Now they have all left the hospital. Ian Harvey is in the south of France. Well, he should have been sent to the South Pole.
Letby, 33, from Hereford, received 14 life orders on Monday for seven counts of murder and seven charges of attempted murder, against six babies.
Judge Goss said she had committed a “cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder” and that her crimes involved “deep malice bordering on sadism”.
Mr Harvey disputed some of the consultants’ claims and, along with other senior hospital staff, insisted he would cooperate with any government investigation.
WATCH THE FULL MAIL LUCY LETBY DOCUMENTARY HERE
I believe Lucy Letby poisoned at least one more child, chief prosecution expert says