A possible mistrial of justice is the lead story on many of Wednesday’s front pages. “There were no murders” is the Metro’s striking headline as it carries the verdict of 14 experts on the Lucy Letby case. The 35-year-old former nurse is serving 15 whole-life orders for killing seven infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital. But a group of neonatal experts says they died from natural causes or “bad medical care”.
The i says Letby’s legal team are planning a new bid to clear her name and her convictions will be reviewed before a decision is made on whether to send the case back to the Court of Appeal.
“Baby killer…or victim?” is the question on the Daily Mirror’s front as it describes the panel’s work as a “bombshell new dossier”.
The Daily Express says Letby has been given “hope” she will be freed from prison. “Evidence doesn’t support murder of any babies” is the headline.
The Daily Telegraph describes it as an unprecedented intervention, with one member of the panel of experts having co-authored a paper used by the prosecution to convict Letby. Dr Shoo Lee said he had become involved in the case after finding out his research had been used as a key plank in the evidence but had been “wrongly interpreted”.
But the Daily Mail has a different take with the mother of one of Letby’s victims hitting out at the “disrespectful” campaign to free her. The woman, whose baby boy Letby tried to murder, said it was “upsetting”.
The Times focuses on failings in the case of Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham. An independent review into the paranoid schizophrenic’s NHS care prior to the attack “lays bare a catalogue of failings”, it says. According to the paper he was described as “personable and gentle” and was allowed to skip medication because he did not like needles.
The Financial Times says China is seeking “ammunition for Trump talks” by reviving probes into big US tech firms. Amid the ongoing trade war, which has seen the two countries place tariffs on products from the other, China’s state regulator has reopened a competition investigation into Google, and is also looking at Nvidia and potentially Intel.
The Guardian leads on calls from Labour MPs for the prime minister to get tougher on immigration. A pressure group has been set up by those MPs who feel under threat from Reform UK, the paper says. Members of the informal caucus have been drawn from 89 constituencies where Reform came second to Labour, the Guardian says.
The Sun has the story that Annie Kilner, wife of footballer Kyle Walker, is set to join reality show Celebrity Big Brother.
The Daily Star has a story on a “furious” actor accusing his neighbour of stealing his two beavers along with their babies.
