Why Lucy Letby’s infamous ‘confession’ note should NOT be taken as an admission of guilt
THE world’s leading expert on false confessions is set to give evidence that Lucy Letby’s infamous handwritten notes should not be treated as admissions of guilt.
The neonatal nurse’s scrawled writings became some of the most memorable evidence in her trial after they were discovered during police searches of her home.
Among them were the explosive phrases: “I am evil I did this” and “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them and I am a horrible evil person.”
Prosecutors relied on the notes as evidence against Letby as jurors considered allegations that she deliberately murdered and attacked babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
But Professor Gisli Gudjonsson — one of the world’s foremost authorities on the psychology of confessions — has concluded the writings should not be interpreted as a confession.
The internationally renowned forensic psychologist has spent decades studying false confessions, suggestibility and the psychological pressures which can lead people to make apparently incriminating statements.
Gisli said: “It should not be taken as a confession to murder.
“When we look at the note it’s very important to look at it as a whole. You can’t just pick up one or two words.
