Kriti Mehrotra
Directed by Dominic Sivyer, Netflix’s ‘The Investigation of Lucy Letby’ is a documentary exploring the case of the titular former neonatal nurse as she is believed to be a serial child killer. It was in 2023 when she was found guilty of 7 counts of murder and 7 counts of attempted murder in connection with the high number of infant deaths at her workplace at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. However, the ordeal remains far from closed, partly because the credibility of the lead prosecutorial professional expert witness, Dr. Dewi Evans, has since reportedly come into question.
Dr. Dewi Evans Served as a Consultant Paediatrician For Three Decades
Hailing from a loving, supportive household in Carmarthen, Wales, Dewi Evans was just a young boy when he first developed a keen interest in the world of healthcare as well as medicine. Therefore, as soon as he graduated from Carmarthen Grammar School in 1966, he enrolled at Cardiff Medical School to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery. He was in the class of 1971, following which he didn’t hesitate to attend the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for his specialization/Master’s diploma. It was another two years later, in 1975, that he became a member of the Royal College of Physicians before really kick-starting his career in 1980 as a full-time NHS Consultant Paediatrician.
Dr. Dewi served at Morriston Hospital in Cwmrhydyceirw, Wales, until 1991, prior to spreading his wings and working at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, Wales, until he retired in 2009. During this period, he not only became a fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health in 1997 but also led the development of neonatal intensive care services across the nation. As if that’s not enough, the childhood diabetes and endocrinology specialist even gave back to his community by being an active member of the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council. According to records, he was elected Councillor around the 1990s, shortly before he stood in the 1992 general elections, and he unsuccessfully campaigned to be national chair in 2019 too.
Dr. Dewi Evans Has Been a Key Figure in Many Legal Proceedings Involving Medical Aspects
Since Dr. Dewi had served as the Clinical Director of Paediatrics & Neonatology for years prior to his retirement, it was hard for him to step away despite being ready for a new chapter. Thus, in September 2010, he established Dewi Evans Paediatric Consulting Ltd. with the sole aim of focusing on being an independent witness in cases of child abuse and/or negligence. He had started dabbling as a medical expert witness in 1989, with his ability to explain different technical nuances in court being so well received that it soon became part of his full-time profession. He hence formed the company to handle his steadily growing work in this field, so it was under its banner that he got involved in the Lucy Letby case in 2017 upon contacting authorities himself.
By the mid-2010s, Dr. Dewi had long earned a significant reputation as a medical expert witness thanks to his extensive testimonies in criminal court, especially in high-profile cases. These include the 1989 death of 9-year-old Robert “Robbie” Powell, the 2009 death of Lindsay Alvarez, several cases of the removal of kids from parental care, and a 2018 murder by neglect case of a 6-week-old boy. He was also a key figure in the 1996-1998 case of tween Bonnie Lewis and her mother, Linda Lewis, which involved several misdiagnoses, claims of Munchausen by proxy, and more.
Dr. Dewi was one of the professionals who had claimed Linda suffered from the syndrome of “attention seeking by proxy,” which later raised several debates on mistakes in medicine. Nevertheless, owing to most of his other work, he was still well respected in the field, so the police accepted his help when he contacted them in 2017 after reading about the Lucy Letby case in the newspaper. So, he ended up being the paediatric/neonatal expert throughout the investigation, meaning he reviewed all the clinical records, prepared reports on the causes of death for the infants, and served as the star prosecutorial witness during the 10-month trial that commenced in October 2022.
Dr. Dewi Evans Maintains His Opinions in the Luct Letby Case To This Day
Dr. Dewi’s testimony against then-32-year-old former neonatal nurse Lucy was key in her August 2023 conviction on 7 counts of murder as well as 7 counts of attempted murder. Even though there was no physical evidence tying her to the alleged crimes and no witnesses to her actions, there was a mountain of circumstantial evidence that pointed fingers at her alone. However, since then, many have expressed doubts over her convictions, especially because a team of other medical experts reevaluated the clinical evidence and indicated there was no crime or murder committed.
As if that’s not enough, it has come to light that during the court proceedings itself, a Justice from the Court of Appeals wrote an email to the trial judge expressing concerns about Dr. Dewi’s testimony. In the email, the former had penned that he believed Dr. Dewi breached his duty as an expert by deciding on the outcome he wanted, then “working out an explanation” to achieve it. “Of greatest concern,” he had continued, “Dr. Evans makes no effort to provide a balanced opinion…, (which can be considered) a breach of proper professional conduct.” In other words, the Justice questioned Dr. Dewi’s credibility by suggesting he could be biased, but the latter has since asserted that he stands by his report.
We should also mention that in late 2024, Lucy’s team claimed that Dr. Dewi had altered his view on how three infants had died at her place of work between 2015 and 2016. They asserted they will ask the Court of Appeal to immediately review all of her convictions based on this new revelation, yet the medical professional quickly came forward to deny it. He said their “observations regarding my evidence is unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate… It’s highly disrespectful to the families of babies murdered and harmed by Lucy Letby.” So, today, the 76-year-old’s focus is on maintaining his standing and supporting what he believes to be the truth while also enjoying his retirement. After all, the Carmarthen, Wales, resident, as well as the dedicated family man, closed down Dewi Evans Paediatric Consulting Ltd. in June 2024.
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