Convicted nurse faces wait for appeal ruling
Colin Campbell, previously known as Colin Norris, was found guilty in 2008 of killing four women and attempting to kill a fifth by injecting them with insulin.
Doris Ludlam, 80, Bridget Bourke, 88, Irene Crookes, 79, and Ethel Hall, 86, were inpatients on orthopaedic wards where Campbell worked in Leeds in 2002 and developed unexplained hypoglycaemia.
Campbell denied any wrongdoing and over the past 14 days, the Court of Appeal has heard from both his lawyers and also the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), who opposed the appeal.
He unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 2009 and applied to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) in 2011, who said previously that the prosecution had relied on "wholly circumstantial" evidence.
The CCRC referred the case to the Court of Appeal in London four years ago.
The appeal hearing finished on Friday after closing statements from Michael Mansfield KC, for Campbell, and James Curtis KC, for the CPS.
Mr Mansfield previously told the court that Campbell's appeal was a "straightforward case" and that the judges "must conclude that these convictions are unsafe".
However, Mr Curtis said the court must uphold the convictions, adding that the jury in Campbell's trial were "provided with the necessary relevant facts and issues, from a plethora of highly qualified and clinically experienced witnesses".
Lady Justice Macur, sitting with Sir Stephen Irwin and Mr Justice Picken, said after closing submissions: "It will come as no surprise that we are going to reserve judgment."
She added: "There may be ancillary matters for which we will call you back. We will know once you have the draft judgment."
A judgment is expected in writing at a later date.
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Convicted nurse appeal 'straightforward', court told
New evidence may prove nurse's conviction 'unsafe'
HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
17 hours ago
- CNN
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, the Metropolitan Police said on Friday. The alleged assaults are reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, according to the police. Partey, 32, is charged with two counts of rape to one woman, three to a second and one count of sexual assault to a third. Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, told CNN that Partey 'denies all the charges against him' and 'welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.' 'Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward,' detective superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said in a Metropolitan Police statement. 'We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing CIT@ An investigation was started in February 2022 after the first report of rape was made, the police said, adding that Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on August 5. 'The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape – after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence,' Jaswant Narwal, the chief crown prosecutor for CPS London North, said in a statement. 'Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers in the Metropolitan Police who have carried out the investigation, to review the evidence and advise on the appropriate charges. We remind everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. 'We know there will be significant public interest in this announcement, but it is absolutely vital that there is no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' Partey's contract with Arsenal came to an end following the conclusion of the most recent season. CNN has contacted the club for comment. Partey joined Arsenal in October 2020 and was a consistent player under manager Mikel Arteta during his time with the North London club. A Ghanaian international, he made 130 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, scoring nine goals.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bhim Kohli death: Sentence for 15-year-old boy who killed elderly man to be reviewed
A 15-year-old boy who killed a man in a Leicestershire park will have his sentence reviewed because it may have been too lenient. The child, who cannot be named because of his age, was handed a term of seven years' detention in June for the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Kohli. It will be reviewed by the Court of Appeal under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said: "The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, was appalled by this violent, cowardly attack on an innocent man. She wishes to express her deepest sympathies to Bhim Kohli's friends and family at this difficult time. "After undertaking a detailed review of the case, the Solicitor General concluded the sentence of the 15-year-old boy could be referred to the Court of Appeal. The court will determine if the sentence is increased or not." A 13-year-old girl was spared a custodial sentence for the same offence. She was aged 12 at the time of the incident on 1 September last year and was given a three-year youth rehabilitation order. It is understood the girl's sentence will not be referred to the Court of Appeal as the threshold had not been met. Both children had denied their part in killing the elderly dog walker, who died in hospital the day after the attack. But they were convicted in April by a jury of manslaughter, while the boy, who was aged 14 at the time of the killing, was cleared of murder. Leicester Crown Court heard Mr Kohli was racially abused when the boy pushed, kicked and punched him, while the girl encouraged him by recording parts of the attack while laughing. Mr Kohli was found lying on the ground in Franklin Park in Braunstone Town, near Leicester, and died the next evening of a spinal cord injury. He had been following a familiar routine, walking his beloved dog Rocky to the local park, just yards away from his home. But when he arrived at the park, he was attacked. The jury heard the girl had pointed Mr Kohli out to the boy, who then subjected the victim to a violent assault. High Court judge Mr Justice Turner called it a "cowardly and violent attack" on an elderly man who did "nothing to deserve" what happened to him. He told the boy: "What you did was not one single attack which you immediately regretted, but two separate violent outbursts." The judge accepted that, while the girl had encouraged the boy's behaviour, she did not know he would use "anything like the level of violence he did". After the sentencing, Mr Kohli's family said they had "no sympathy" for his killers. His daughter, Susan Kohli, who found her father lying on the ground following the attack, said it was hard to find forgiveness for the pair, regardless of their ages. "Why should they be given grace for what they have done?" asked Ms Kohli. "They chose to attack a defenceless pensioner and for that I cannot give them any of my sympathy." Ms Kohli said she was "angry and disappointed" that the teenagers' sentence did not, in her view, reflect the severity of the crime. "The death of my dad has left a hole in our family, a hole that can never be filled because of the actions of two teenagers on that Sunday evening last September," she said. "I believe on that day the two teenagers made a choice. The teenage boy chose to attack my dad and the girl chose to film him being attacked. They knew what they were doing." She added: "When they are released, they still have their full lives ahead of them. They can rebuild their lives. We can't."
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Boy's sentence for killing 80-year-old Bhim Kohli to be reviewed
The sentence handed to a teenage boy convicted of killing an 80-year-old man who was filmed being attacked, slapped in the face with a shoe and racially abused while walking his dog will be reviewed by the Court of Appeal. Bhim Kohli called out for help when he was attacked in Franklin Park, Braunstone Town, near Leicester, on September 1 last year. He died the next day with a spinal cord injury and fractured ribs. Last month, Mr Justice Turner sentenced a boy, aged 15, who punched and kicked Mr Kohli, to seven years in custody, and a 13-year-old girl, who encouraged the attack by filming parts of it while laughing, to a three-year youth rehabilitation order. Both children, who cannot be named because of their age, denied their crimes but were convicted by a jury at Leicester Crown Court. A spokesperson for the Attorney General's Office said the case will be reviewed under the unduly lenient sentence scheme. The spokesperson said in a statement: 'The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby KC MP, was appalled by this violent, cowardly attack on an innocent man. 'She wishes to express her deepest sympathies to Bhim Kohli's friends and family at this difficult time. 'After undertaking a detailed review of the case, the Solicitor General concluded the sentence of the 15-year-old boy could be referred to the Court of Appeal. 'The court will determine if the sentence is increased or not.' Mr Kohli's daughter spoke of feeling 'angry and disappointed', adding that she believes their sentences do not 'reflect the severity of the crime they committed'.
