A NEWLY revealed hospital email has cast serious doubt on a central claim used to convict Lucy Letby, the nurse serving a whole life sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more.
The email, written by consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram on 4 May 2017 – more than a year before police began investigating Letby – appears to contradict his later statements to police and the courts. In the message, sent to colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr Jayaram wrote: “At time of deterioration… Staff nurse Letby at incubator and called Dr Jayaram to inform of low saturations.”
He also suggested that Baby K’s death could be explained by her extreme prematurity: “Baby subsequently deteriorated and eventually died, but events around this would fit with explainable events associated with extreme prematurity.”
At both of Letby’s trials, however, Dr Jayaram testified that Letby did not call for help as Baby K’s condition worsened, portraying her behaviour as suspicious. The prosecution claimed she had deliberately dislodged the baby’s breathing tube and that Jayaram had caught her “virtually red-handed”. This testimony played a crucial role in securing Letby’s conviction for attempting to murder Baby K.
The newly disclosed email was not included in the original documentation submitted to police and only came to light in 2024, well after Letby’s conviction. It was obtained by the news outlet UnHerd and has since been shared with Letby’s legal team.
The email was written during a period when Dr Jayaram and other consultants were seeking to involve the police. Letby had already been moved from clinical duties following concerns raised by doctors. At the time, she had submitted a grievance alleging bullying and harassment, which was upheld.
Internal documents suggest the consultants were drafting a report to “pique the interest” of police investigators and had been advised to emphasise Letby’s presence during multiple critical incidents in the neonatal unit.
Letby, 35, from Hereford, was convicted following two trials at Manchester Crown Court. She was found guilty of killing seven babies and attempting to kill seven more between 2015 and 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She is now serving 15 whole-life orders.
Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Letby’s legal team had submitted a 698-page report to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), signed by 14 medical experts. The document argues that the babies died as a result of natural causes, including prematurity, infection, and substandard care, rather than deliberate harm.
Among the signatories is Dr Dewi Evans, who originally gave evidence for the prosecution, but who has since expressed concern about how the case was handled. Others include senior neonatologists, statisticians and a former medical director of Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The report has also gained support from former Supreme Court justice Lord Sumption, who described Letby as “probably innocent” and said the case was built on “a hypothesis for which there is no factual foundation”.
It is understood that neither Cheshire Police nor the Crown Prosecution Service became aware of the 2017 email until August 2024, when it was disclosed during the course of the Thirlwall Inquiry – which is examining the wider circumstances of the Letby case, including how concerns were raised and handled by hospital management.
The email has not yet been made public or formally discussed at the inquiry. A source close to Letby’s defence team described the document as “potentially game-changing”, adding: “This case is falling apart.”
Dr Jayaram has not responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Countess of Chester Hospital said it would not be appropriate to comment while the Thirlwall Inquiry and ongoing police investigations are under way.
Letby maintains her innocence and is currently appealing her conviction. The CCRC continues to assess whether her case should be referred to the Court of Appeal.
