Cheshire constabulary rejects criticism by David Davis over Letby investigation | Lucy Letby

The police force investigating Lucy Letby issued a strongly worded press statement rejecting criticism after David Davis called on parliament to examine the case.

The former Conservative cabinet minister, who last year said Letby had suffered a “clear miscarriage of justice”, said Cheshire Constabulary approached the investigation into the infant deaths at the Countess of Chester hospital by focusing too much on suspecting Letby and made “appalling failures” in failing to follow guidelines and best practice, including the appointment of expert witnesses.

Davis argued Cheshire forces had failed to learn from their investigation into Sally Clark, a mother who was wrongly convicted of murdering her two sons in 1999 based on flawed medical statistical evidence.

He said he would call on the prosecution to “review the conduct” of both the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Cheshire Constabulary.

In its response, Cheshire constabulary expressed growing concerns about the evidence condemning Letby as a group of people “spreading misinformation, making false claims and seeking to destroy his reputation” and said it rejected all criticism from Davis.

“Cheshire Police strongly reject all points made during the adjournment discussion,” police said. “This amounted to inappropriate behavior on the part of Cheshire Constabulary, of which nothing was detected. We remain confident in the integrity of the investigation, the conduct of the prosecution and the decisions taken by the courts.”

Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven more in 2015 and 2016, while she was working as a nurse in Chester hospital’s neonatal unit. He was sentenced to 15 life sentences and the appeals court refused him leave to appeal.

Following the conviction, dozens of leading British and international medical and scientific experts argued that the babies had died or collapsed from natural causes and poor care at the unit, and that Letby had been unfairly convicted.

Renowned Canadian neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee has repeatedly said his research was misinterpreted by medical expert witnesses in the prosecution. Lee convened a panel of 14 leading experts to review the medical evidence, and they concluded last year that there was no evidence of murder or any other intentional harm.

Letby’s lawyer, Mark McDonald, applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which examines possible miscarriages of justice, to have his case, supported by the reports of 27 experts, sent back to the court of appeal. The CCRC is reviewing the application.

In its response to Davis’ speech, Cheshire Constabulary said: “Over the past two years, the force has been subject to constant criticism, intense scrutiny and unwelcome views from a core group of individuals who pride themselves on spreading misinformation, making false claims and seeking to destroy reputations.

“While scrutiny of police services is legitimate and welcome, it is important that any such review is based on fact and does not inadvertently disrupt the legal process, ongoing legal assessments or the independence of the judiciary.

“The constant noise surrounding this case, the presentation of false or partial information as fact, and attempts to hijack the perceived narrative risks undermining public confidence not only in this case but in the criminal justice system more broadly.

“Public trust is best maintained through evidence-based debate and responsible commentary, not misinformed personal opinions and inaccurate details. We are committed to victim-centered justice, public trust and the rule of law.”

“Our thoughts are always with the families of the babies at the center of this case.”

Responding to the police statement on Friday afternoon, Davis said: “I am not surprised by the reaction of Cheshire Police; it is entirely consistent with their conduct throughout.”

Echoing the call he made in his speech, he said “if Cheshire Police believe they have acted entirely appropriately” they should provide Letby’s lawyers with investigation documents, including senior police officers’ policy and decision books, identified lines of inquiry and records of potential suspects, and notes of meetings with expert witnesses and the National Crime Agency.

Following the conviction, Cheshire Constabulary continued a fuller investigation into all of Letby’s work as a nurse before 2015, which culminated in police sending a dossier to the CPS alleging that Letby had murdered and attempted to murder the two deceased children, as well as attempted to murder a further seven surviving children. The CPS announced in January that “the evidentiary test has not been met in any of these cases” and that no further charges would be brought.