Thirlwall Inquiry Report Undermines Claims of Lucy Letby's Innocence, Author Argues

Lady Justice Thirlwall's report on the failures at Countess of Chester Hospital during Lucy Letby's time as a nurse has provided significant evidence against claims of her innocence, an observer who attended the full ten-month trial has argued.

The judge's 822-page report concluded that "dysfunctional management" and a "complete failure" to understand safeguarding meant vulnerable infants were not protected from harm. Lady Justice Thirlwall stated that up to three of the children murdered by the former neonatal nurse should not have died had hospital managers acted sooner to remove her from the ward.

While the inquiry's remit did not include re-examining trial evidence or preempting the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is considering Letby's case, the report's findings have been used to dismiss arguments presented by Letby's supporters. These supporters contend that no murders occurred and that Letby was a scapegoat for a struggling hospital.

Arguments frequently raised by Letby's proponents, such as staffing shortfalls and concerns about pseudomonas bacteria in the unit's taps, were addressed in the report. Lady Justice Thirlwall noted that "none of the deaths could be attributed to staff shortages," adding that the hospital's neonatal unit had "slightly better" staffing levels than comparable units in the region. Regarding pseudomonas, the judge stated there was "no evidence that pseudomonas played any part in any of the deaths."

The report also addressed the "I AM EVIL I DID THIS" note, which supporters claimed Letby wrote under duress on the advice of a mentor. Lady Justice Thirlwall clarified that the individual in question was "not a counsellor and there is no evidence that counselling or any form of therapy was provided to Letby."

Furthermore, the idea that downgrading the neonatal unit to stop admitting babies under 32 weeks' gestation explained the drop in deaths was dismissed. The judge concluded this "was not an explanation for the absence of deaths and unexpected collapses."

Despite the inquiry's findings, a public relations firm has confirmed they are working pro bono for Letby's legal team, which is seeking to overturn her convictions. Documentaries and articles have continued to question the guilty verdicts, revisiting theories debated during the trial and in the media. These often feature individuals who have long supported Letby, including a statistician, a former nurse, and a disgraced coroner's officer.

A retired vascular surgeon, Colin Ferguson, who appeared in a Channel 5 documentary, argued that the murdered babies could not have died from air embolism because medical literature suggested gas would have been found in their hearts. However, experts who testified at Letby's trial, including pediatric radiologist Professor Owen Arthurs and pathologist Professor Andreas Marnerides, presented evidence of air in the major blood vessels of some infants. Pathologist Jo McPartland also testified that air is difficult to detect in neonates' hearts even after death.

Doubts have also been raised regarding Letby's convictions for poisoning two baby boys with insulin, citing high hormone levels in their systems. Critics claim that newborns can naturally produce high insulin levels and that control tests were flawed. However, the trial heard from biochemist Dr. Anna Milan, who expressed confidence in the tests, and endocrinologist Professor Peter Hindmarsh, who stated the readings could only be explained by external insulin administration. The report also notes that Letby herself entered a blood test result into Baby F's medical notes that was "not consistent with insulin poisoning," while evidence emerged of her deliberately altering other infants' records.

The observer argues that those doubting Letby's guilt often overlook crucial trial testimony, such as that of nurse Ashleigh Hudson, who described Letby's unusual behavior and comments after an attack on Baby I. Letby's claim of knowing Baby I "looked pale" from a distance, despite the infant's face being covered, was highlighted as a moment of discomfort for the nurse. The jury also heard about insensitive remarks Letby made regarding Baby I's first bath and her keeping a photograph of a sympathy card sent to the parents.

Testimony from the mother of Baby E was also cited as pivotal. She described her son's "horrendous" screaming and Letby's reassurance that blood around his mouth was from his breathing tube. Phone records and medical notes later indicated Letby had falsified the timings of when she called for medical assistance for Baby E, who was later convicted of his murder by injecting air into his bloodstream.

Lawyers representing the parents of Letby's victims stated in their closing remarks to the public inquiry that they have "no doubt that she was rightfully convicted." Lady Justice Thirlwall also paid tribute to the parents, urging respect for their dignity and courage, and stating they "must not be collateral damage in the public argument about whether or not Letby is guilty."