A possible miscarriage 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.
The Lucy Letby case is the lead on most of the front pages.
“Baby killer … or victim?” is the question posed by the Daily Mirror. It says a “bombshell new dossier” has been put forward by medical experts on behalf of the jailed nurse.
The Daily Telegraph says there are growing calls for a retrial after an “unprecedented intervention into the conviction of a serial killer” by 14 world-leading specialists.
The Daily Express says the former nurse has been given “hope” that she will be freed from prison.
But the Daily Mail features an interview with a “distraught mother”, saying she has hit back at the “upsetting” and “disrespectful” attempts to free Letby.
The mother of a baby boy – whom Letby was convicted of attempting to murder – tells the paper that Tuesday’s news conference was a “publicity stunt”.
“NHS allowed Nottingham killer to skip medication” is the headline on the front of the Times.
It leads on the independent review into the treatment of Valdo Calocane – who has paranoid schizophrenia – before he stabbed to death three people.
The paper says Calocane was described as “personable and kind” by mental health workers, before he was discharged despite a history of violence and a refusal to take medication.
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Scientists say there may be some truth to the phrase “things will feel better in the morning”, some papers say
According to the Financial Times, China is seeking “ammunition” for talks on tariffs with President Trump – by reviving anti-trust investigations into the American Big Tech companies, Google and Nvidia.
Beijing is also considering a new probe against Intel, as it looks for leverage with Trump, according to the paper. The FT says US tech companies are being caught in the crossfire of growing tensions between China and the US.
Finally, you have no doubt been told at some point that “things will feel better in the morning”. Now scientists say there may be some truth to that, according to the papers.
A large study by University College London has found that people are generally at their best in the morning because the hormone cortisol – which regulates mood and motivation – peaks shortly after waking.
“Rise and shine, it’s the happiest time of the day,” declares the Telegraph.
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