Lucy Letby: Police probe 'assault' on medical witness who helped to convict serial killer nurse

Police are investigating an alleged attack on a medical witness who gave evidence for the prosecution of Lucy Letby .

The alleged assault, said to have been carried out by a member of the public with “pro-Lucy Letby beliefs”, is being investigated by Cheshire Police.

A force spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are aware of an assault involving one of the witnesses from the Lucy Letby case and an investigation into the incident is underway.”

Another medical witness who had been targeted on social media by those doubting Letby’s guilt said they were considering referring the matter to police, reported the Sunday Times.

The former neonatal nurse was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders - making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison.

In recent days, there has been speculation the convicted child killer may launch a fresh appeal with a new legal team, with her new barrister claiming there is "absolutely" a strong case Letby is innocent.

Tamlin Bolton, who represents the families of six victims, described the speculation as "upsetting" for all of her clients.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, the solicitor said: "I can't stress enough how upsetting that has been for all of the families that I represent.

"And they have thought about so many ways in which they can try to address that and deal with it and make sure they put their voice across. But of course they're restricted by wanting to keep themselves confidential and private.

"So it's a really difficult challenge for them to try and avoid social media, avoid the reporting about it.

"But when you have children that are now eight or nine years old, they are looking at TikTok, they're looking at social media and there are people claiming that the harm that was caused to them or their sibling was not caused by somebody who's been found guilty of those crimes by a jury and whose appeals have been exhausted, and the Court of Appeal have also said she remains guilty of these crimes."

A public inquiry examining events at the Countess of Chester Hospital following Letby's multiple convictions is due to begin in Liverpool on Tuesday.

Ms Bolton said it was important to highlight this was focussed on the "duty of candour" between patients and hospitals, rather than the criminal convictions "which are final".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Monday, the solicitor said: "The inquiry process is entirely different from the criminal trial and the inquiry is looking at very different things ... (it) is dealing with the duty of candour between patients and hospitals. It's looking at the role of a number of different bodies and how they interplay with patient safety in the hospital and it's looking at governance.

"It is not focused on the criminal convictions which are final and have been through an exhaustive appeal process.

"The families are devastated by the reporting at the moment. It is the families that are going through this, continuing to go through this in its enormity and sincerity.”

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