A transcript of a conversation between Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a key witness in the Lucy Letby trials, and Cheshire Police investigators has surfaced, detailing discussions about how to interpret disputed evidence, specifically swipe card data.
The exchange, obtained by investigative journalist Cleuci de Oliveira, occurred in April 2024, shortly before Letby's second trial. In the conversation, Dr. Jayaram and civilian investigator Darren Riley, along with Detective Constable Kate Millins, discuss swipe records for a crucial door on the Neonatal Unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The data appeared to show nurse Jo Williams leaving the unit at 3:47 a.m., when, according to the investigators, it actually indicated her return. "We can't change the data," Riley is quoted as saying, "But we can change the interpretation of it."
This particular piece of evidence was significant because Dr. Jayaram's account in Letby's first trial depended partly on the assumption that Ms. Letby was alone in the unit while another nurse was absent. The disputed swipe data appeared to support this scenario.
Dr. Jayaram, once a prominent TV doctor, was the sole witness to come close to implicating Letby. His testimony to the second trial in 2024 led to headlines that he had caught her "virtually red-handed" near a critically ill infant, though he did not witness direct harm. He stated she was failing to assist when the baby was in distress.
Earlier, in 2017, an email from Dr. Jayaram, reported by The Mail on Sunday in 2025, suggested he investigated an infant, referred to as Baby K, because Letby herself had requested his help, not due to any suspicions about her actions.
Cheshire Police declined to comment on the transcript. Dr. Jayaram has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Former Conservative minister Sir David Davis commented on the transcript, calling it "deeply troubling to see what appears to be the police and a key witness reshaping the interpretation of the evidence to Lucy Letby’s disadvantage in advance of her retrial." He has called for an independent review of Cheshire Police's handling of the case.
Lucy Letby is currently serving a life sentence for the murders and attempted murders of seven infants on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital. The case has faced scrutiny due to the nature of the evidence presented, particularly the lack of direct proof of harm.