A POST-MORTEM found a deadly bug in the lung of a baby Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering.
The former nurse’s trial heard Baby I had tested negative for multiple diseases – though the jurors were not told bacterium Stenotrophomonas maltphilia.
Lucy Letby was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven moreCredit: PA
The deaths occurred between 2015 and 2016Credit: Getty
There is growing concern Letby could be a victim of a miscarriage of justiceCredit: SWNS
at Countess of Chester Hospital.
It comes as her parents last night about the controversial case, saying: “It’s a complete invasion of privacy.”
Letby’s trial heard she killed Baby I at the fourth attempt after a deliberate fatal overdose of air and overfeeding her with milk.
A tissue sample collected from the infant girl’s right bronchus, days after her death, tested positive for the waterborne bacteria, according to documents reviewed by .
The post-mortem report, however, does not mention the positive test result.
Letby’s defence barrister told the news outlet: “There were serious problems on the neonatal unit, it was a unit in crisis.
“Lucy raised in her evidence an issue of infections and sewage overflow, so it is not surprising that Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was detected at the time.”
An independent panel of experts, working on behalf of her legal team, had first publicly revealed that the bacterium had been found in Baby I’s endotracheal tube last February.
The same deadly bug also killed three babies and three adults at a hospital in Scotland.
Cops are currently carrying out a fatal accident probe at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow.
The health board NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has now admitted that on the “balance of probabilities” the hospital environment, particularly the water system, caused some infections.
Last week, – a former consultant at obstetrician and gynaecologist – says must be pursued at Countess of Chester.
He says it could dig up bombshell evidence that would prove wasn’t responsible for the babies’ deaths.
He told The Sun: “It is potentially hugely relevant and important – it always has been.”
Dr Pitman was sacked in 2023 after a lengthy whistleblowing campaign about supposed maternity patient safety, as well as midwifery staff being stretched Royal Hospital.
working for Letby’s lawyers warned the hospital had suffered “poor plumbing and drainage” and needed intensive cleaning – with the conditions possibly leading to the bug’s colonisation and infection.
Evidence presented at her trial and subsequent inquiries confirmed there were multiple sewage and plumbing issues at the Countess of Chester.
This included “foul water” in the sinks, and drainage problems in what is an aging building from the 1960s, as well as a significant flood in the neonatal unit in January 2016.
Nappy pads were even sometimes placed in the ceiling voids above the unit to catch sewage leaking from pipes carrying waste from the floor above.
Dr Pitman said: “When the sewage leak was confirmed the unit should have been closed, the vulnerable babies moved out and/or transferred to other units until the issue has been sorted and cultures were negative.”
He added: “I feel certain that details of more infected babies across that time period will emerge.
“A baby in the same bay as twins A and B developed awful infection symptoms and was, fortuitously, transferred to Women’s Hospital and survived.”
Asked how likely it is the bacterium killed Baby I, rather than Letby, Dr Pitman said there are “differing opinions”.
“From my understanding, the cultures for that bug were negative leading up to the death,” he continued.
“But it is a very difficult organism to treat and to totally eradicate.
“Thing is, it isn’t just about bacteria in the sewage…. There are some pretty horrible and pathogenic viruses that could have been in the sewage leak too.”
He added: “At the end of the day, no neonatal unit should remain open, exposing immuno-vulnerable patients to raw sewage.
“This is the UK in the 21st century after all.”
This is the moment Lucy Letby was arrested at her homeCredit: Netflix
NHS whistleblower Martyn Pitman believes Letby maybe innocentCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
Letby’s defence team re-examined Baby I’s medical notes and warned that the bacterium could have blocked her endotracheal tube, interfering with ventilation and starving her of oxygen.
Prof Shoo Lee, a top neonatologist who led the panel of 14 experts in re-examining the baby deaths in the Letby case, told The Daily Telegraph : “Many outbreaks have been reported in hospitals and intensive care units.
“It is frequently isolated from bodies of contaminated water such as sewage.
“If the water system of a hospital is contaminated, it is a major risk factor for the of patients.”
A 2018 review of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in identified widespread contamination of the water system.
It has been blamed for at least 84 people falling ill since the facility opened in 2015.
It comes as the CPS last month confirmed against Letby, 36, following a lengthy probe.
The potential charges included two further murders of babies at the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s hospitals, as well as nine attempted murders at both.
Meanwhile, The Sun revealed last month how , allegedly from the Thirlwall Inquiry – which is exploring potential failures of staff and NHS systems at the Countess of Chester – has given pro Letby campaigners hope she could be freed.
Prosecutors during Letby’s two trials in 2023 and 2024 largely relied on circumstantial evidence, including analysing probabilities based on unit rota patterns.
Her legal team, led by top barrister Mr McDonald, sent an appeal application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) – which reviews possible miscarriages of justice – early last year.
This includes a dossier of supposed fresh evidence they hope will see the case reconsidered.
A CCRC spokesperson previously said: “We are aware that there has been a great deal of speculation and commentary surrounding Lucy Letby’s case, much of it from parties with only a partial view of the evidence.
“We ask that everyone remembers the families affected by events at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.”
The Sun has approached the Countess of Chester Hospital Trust for comment.
The charges Letby has been convicted of in full
Child A, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby injected air intravenously into the bloodstream of the baby boy. COUNT 1 GUILTY.
Child B, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby attempted to murder the baby girl, the twin sister of Child A, by injecting air into her bloodstream. COUNT 2 GUILTY.
Child C, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said Letby forced air down a feeding tube and into the stomach of the baby boy. COUNT 3 GUILTY.
Child D, allegation of murder. The Crown said air was injected intravenously into the baby girl. COUNT 4 GUILTY.
Child E, allegation of murder. The Crown said Letby murdered the twin baby boy with an injection of air into the bloodstream and also deliberately caused bleeding to the infant. COUNT 5 GUILTY.
Child F, allegation of attempted murder. Letby was said by prosecutors to have poisoned the twin brother of Child E with insulin. COUNT 6 GUILTY.
Child I, allegation of murder. The prosecution said Letby killed the baby girl at the fourth attempt and had given her air and overfed her with milk. COUNT 12 GUILTY.
Child K, allegation of attempted murder. The prosecution said Letby compromised the baby girl as she deliberately dislodged a breathing tube. COUNT 14 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT AT ORIGINAL TRIAL, NOW GUILTY AFTER RETRIAL
Child L, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said the nurse poisoned the twin baby boy with insulin. COUNT 15 GUILTY.
Child M, allegation of attempted murder. Prosecutors said Letby injected air into the bloodstream of Child L’s twin brother. COUNT 16 GUILTY.
Child N, three allegations of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby inflicted trauma in the baby boy’s throat and also injected him with air in the bloodstream. COUNT 17 GUILTY, COUNT 18 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT, COUNT 19 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT.
Child O, allegation of murder. Prosecutors say Letby attacked the triplet boy by injecting him with air, overfeeding him with milk and inflicting trauma to his liver with “severe force”. COUNT 20 GUILTY.
Child P, allegation of murder. Prosecutors said the nurse targeted the triplet brother of Child O by overfeeding him with milk, injecting air and dislodging his breathing tube. COUNT 21 GUILTY.
Child Q, allegation of attempted murder. The Crown said Letby injected the baby boy with liquid, and possibly air, down his feeding tube. COUNT 22 JURY COULD NOT REACH VERDICT
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
