The public inquiry into the crimes of Lucy Letby will not be paused while a fresh bid to clear her name is being considered, a judge has ruled.
Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole life orders for the murders of seven babies and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016 while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Her new legal team, led by barrister Mark McDonald, asked Lady Justice Thirlwall to pause the public inquiry, which is about to conclude at Liverpool Town Hall, after hearing six months of evidence.
Her team argued it was necessary because Letby has submitted an application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to have her convictions overturned.
This follows two press conference at which McDonald revealed he has instructed a panel of 14 international experts to look over the case.
The panel, led by neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee, says its initial conclusion is that there is “no medical evidence” babies were murdered by Letby.
The CCRC, the independent body which deals with miscarriages of justice, has confirmed it has received a “preliminary” application, but says it cannot give a timescale on when its legal team will decide if Letby’s case should go back to the Court of Appeal.
The application by Letby’s legal team was supported by four senior hospital bosses from the Countess of Chester Hospital.
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Kate Blackwell KC, acting for former medical director Ian Harvey, former director of nursing Alison Kelly, former chief executive Tony Chambers and former HR director Susan Hodkinson, argued that there is a “real likelihood” Letby is innocent.
She added that there may be “alternative explanations” for why the babies unexpectedly collapsed and died.
Speaking on Wednesday, Lady Justice Thirlwall said UK law makes clear that only the Secretary of State, in this case Health Secretary Wes Streeting, has the power to suspend a public inquiry.
She accepted that while she has the power to pause proceedings the application to do so was refused, ruling that it was neither “unfair” to any of the parties nor likely to incur any “unnecessary” costs.
Public hearings have now concluded and Lady Justice Thirlwall will now begin writing a report which she intends to publish in the autumn.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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