Two leading experts have withdrawn from Lucy Letby's defence team, citing concerns about the "scientific credibility" of some of its evidence. The former neonatal nurse is challenging her convictions for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester hospital.
Helen Shannon, a British chemical engineering expert, and Geoff Chase, a professor of bioengineering, stated on Monday that some arguments put forward on Letby's behalf were "inconsistent with the available evidence, science and established physiology." They had previously produced a report casting doubt on her convictions for poisoning two babies with insulin.
Shannon and Chase maintain their assessment that it was "very unlikely" anyone poisoned the two infants, but they cannot support other evidence used by Letby's defence team related to the insulin cases. They informed the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) that supporting these arguments would create a serious ethical issue.
Mark McDonald, Letby's barrister, stated that new evidence from international experts in insulin, endocrinology, and laboratory medicine fundamentally undermines the scientific evidence relied upon at trial. The CCRC, which has been reviewing the convictions for 18 months, declined to comment.