The doctor at the center of Lucy Letby's new claims, which suggest he has changed his mind about the cause of death of three of Lucy Letby's victims, said the allegations were “unfounded” and “inaccurate”.
Retired consultant pediatrician Dr. Dewi Evans responded to claims from Letby's new lawyer Mark McDonald, who said the prosecution's lead medical witness had changed his views about how the infants died in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Mr McDonald told reporters that he had immediately asked the Court of Appeal for permission to reconsider their case because Dr. Evans is “not a reliable expert” and the former nurse’s convictions for murder and attempted murder are uncertain.
On Tuesday, Dr. Evans: “Mr Mark McDonald’s comments about my evidence are baseless, unsubstantiated and inaccurate.
“The way he presents his information clearly reflects prejudice and bias. I find his style highly unedifying, highly unprofessional.
“It is extremely disrespectful to the families of the babies murdered and injured by Lucy Letby.”
Letby, 34, from Hereford, is serving 15 life warrants after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven toddlers and attempting to murder seven others, including two attempted murders of one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
The Thirlwall Inquiry has heard evidence at Liverpool Town Hall since September and will continue in January. The results are expected to be published in autumn 2025.
Dr. Evans said he could not recall a senior attorney representing a client at a press conference, and “particularly not a case of such sensitivity.”
He added: “The only appropriate venue for dealing with a possible appeal is the relevant court.” If necessary, I will be happy to provide information in the usual form; under oath, subject to cross-examination and if my evidence is made publicly available.
“I would expect every other participant to agree to the same principles.”
Convicted child murderer Letby has already lost two appeals court applications to overturn the convictions this year. The first in May for seven murders and seven attempted murders and in October for the attempted murder of a little girl, for which she was convicted by a different jury in a retrial.
Dr. Evans said the initial ruling from three Court of Appeal judges represented “a very thorough review of the evidence” presented at Letby's first trial, which lasted 10 months.
He said: “You supported my statement. They fully supported the verdict of the Manchester trial. I have no information to suggest that the Court of Appeal judges were wrong.”
Letby was found guilty of murdering children C, I and P by forcing air into their stomachs through a feeding tube.
Dr. Evans said the evidence of Letby's involvement in the earlier deteriorations and the event that led to the death of Child I, a little girl, in October 2015 was “compelling and overwhelming”.
The evidence from multiple sources supporting the cause of death of Child P, a triplet, in June 2016 and Letby's involvement was “consistent and significant”, he said.
Dr. Evans said he had forwarded a detailed report to Cheshire Police about Child C, a young boy who died in June 2015, which he said “explains the situation in terms of both the timing of Letby's murderous attack and the Baby’s cause of death clarified.”
He added he was not involved in Cheshire Police's ongoing review of the care of around 4,000 hospitalized babies while Letby worked as a neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester from January 2012 to the end of June 2016 and at Liverpool Women's for two years Hospital worked internships in 2012 and 2015.
Dr. Evans said police should be able to complete their investigation “without distractions”, as did Judge Thirlwall, who chairs the public inquiry into the events surrounding Letby's crimes.
Additional reporting by PA.
