Latest news with #MarkMcDonald
The Independent
11-07-2025
- The Independent
Has this other miscarriage of justice case just blown Lucy Letby's bid for freedom out of the water?
There was bad news recently for a nurse convicted of killing multiple patients when the Court of Appeal rejected the nurse's claim of wrongful conviction. Colin Campbell (formerly Colin Norris) had been found guilty in 2008 of murdering four elderly women patients, and attempting to murder a fifth patient, all by insulin poisoning during his time at Leeds General Infirmary. Campbell was aged 32 at conviction and will turn 50 next year. He is 17 years into a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years. Campbell's failed appeal – the 49-page judgment was published just two weeks ago – has implications for the appeal prospects of Lucy Letby, who has multiple hurdles ahead of her as she seeks to prove she has been the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice. Not least are her convictions: Letby is serving 15 concurrent whole life sentences – seven for the murders of babies in her care, and eight more for the babies she was found to have attempted to murder, all at the Countess of Chester Hospital, a decade ago, during 2015 and 2016. Letby was aged 33 at conviction on 14 counts in mid-2023. The 15th conviction came after a retrial a year later. As things stand, she will never be freed, but events in the case since have moved at a pace that has sometimes seemed dizzying. Letby has become a celebrated cause, promoted at press conferences and in interviews by her post-trial counsel, Mark McDonald. Concerns about her case have been raised by a variety of public figures, from Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, to MP Sir David Davis, to former politicians such as Nadine Dorries and the former health secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt, who recently said the case required 'urgent re-examination'. Commentators and social media posters have struggled to keep up, not always grasping the significance of developments. When, a few days ago, Cheshire Police arrested and questioned three unnamed former executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, many people appeared to think that this was in Letby's favour – the truth at last! The circumstances of the arrests have not been made public, but I cannot help wondering if they are related to a reluctance of hospital managers to accept the claims of doctors that Letby could be responsible for the cluster of deaths. It was hard to think the unthinkable then, as now. Meanwhile, babies died or were harmed. Cheshire Police then announced they had sent a file of potential further cases against Letby to the Crown Prosecution Service, who must now decide if it is in the public interest to prosecute. This was no news to me, as I had heard months ago that the CPS was already sitting on at least three files of further murder charges which were considered 'good to go', although she has still not been charged yet. Meanwhile, in another theatrical moment, some weeks ago, McDonald went to Birmingham and held a press conference on the steps of the headquarters of the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He had invited the media to observe the delivery of his client's case that she had been wrongly convicted and that the CCRC should exercise its powers to refer the case back to the Court of Appeal, forthwith. He said the application 'blows the case out of the water' and demonstrates that 'no crime was committed'. I think there has since been at least one meeting between Letby's legal team and the commissioner leading the case – the 'nominated decision maker' as we used to call them during my own term of office as a CCRC commissioner, from 2013-2018. Ultimately, according to the Criminal Appeal Act 1995, three commissioners will sit in judgment on Letby's application, forming a case committee to decide whether the case can be referred, on the legal test that there is a real possibility the convictions would be overturned. There does not have to be a committee – the application can be rejected by a single commissioner. But given the current agonies the CCRC has suffered, over its failings in the Andrew Malkinson case and the resignations of its chair and chief executive, it would be a brave commissioner who made that decision alone. But how long will any decision take in a case of such legal and medical complexity? While her appeal's starting point is that 'no crime was committed', Letby was, lest we forget, convicted (of the first 14 counts) after a trial that lasted ten months, in which a jury heard both the prosecution and defence cases in great detail. Although I was never involved in the Colin Campbell case, it was being dealt with by colleagues before, after and during my term in office. Campbell's application – in itself complex, though not as complex as Letby's first – came to the commission in 2011 after his own failed appeal. The CCRC does not deal with just one case at a time. It has hundreds of them, thousands even, and they are divided out among caseworkers – case review managers – who work on multiple cases at the same time, trying to manage the expectations of applicants, and keep moving applications forward; updating records, chasing inquiries and keeping abreast of what is happening. Campbell's case turned on the strength of the evidence that the elderly patients had died or been harmed due to the exogenous administration of a massive dose of insulin. Two of the Letby murders were also attributed to insulin injection and Letby herself had agreed in evidence that such a poisoning must have occurred, while denying she was responsible. It took the CCRC six years to reach a provisional decision to reject Campbell's case. But it changed its mind following further submissions and agreed to refer the case to the Court of Appeal in 2021 (10 years after the initial application), based on fresh medical expert opinion but noting that the case against Campbell (like the case against Letby) had been 'wholly circumstantial'. It took a further four years for the case to be heard, due to various technical, legal and medical issues that affected the progress of the appeal. The court was emphatic in its rejection of the new evidence. It also rejected any attempt to base the appeal on statistics. As it said, the prosecution was not permitted to make claims based on the rarity of such events to support its case for guilt – and the appellants could not claim that there were other deaths in which Campbell was not involved to support its own argument that he was innocent. This all has ramifications for Letby. Her supporters often invoke the tragic case of Sally Clark, who was first convicted and then acquitted of murdering her two newborn babies. Central to Clark's conviction had been the claim of a prosecution expert Roy Meadow that the likelihood of two sudden infant deaths in the same family was 1 in 73 million. When that claim was discredited, together with some new medical evidence, the case against Clark fell apart. No such claims were made during the Letby trial, and, contrary to the claims of many, her case does not appear to hinge on statistics. Her appeal will be determined instead by the strength of the new medical evidence – from the so-called international expert panel and others – and the extent to which it undermines the case that was put at trial, when, it should be noted, many alternate explanations for the baby deaths were canvassed. You must have new evidence for an appeal. It must be capable of belief, it must be significant enough to have made a difference to the outcome and there must be a good reason why it was not called at the original trial. If Letby can cross those hurdles, she might be in with a chance. But the Campbell case – although not entirely similar to Letby – is a warning to those with high expectations that Letby's acquittal is a 'slam dunk'. The Court agreed that the case for insulin poisoning at Campbell's original trial had been overwhelming. It disagreed with claims that the new evidence at appeal completely 'changed the landscape'. The Court of Appeal had no doubt it said about the safety of Campbell's five convictions. His appeal was dismissed. Although the three Campbell appeal judges did not directly refer to Letby, they made it clear they were aware of the wider interest in the outcome of Campbell's case and seemed keen to emphasise the care they had taken, collectively in weighing the merit of the 'intricate debate between eminent scientists'. That was no doubt a marker for Letby– if her case ever gets past the CCRC and back to the Court.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Yahoo
Posthaste: Copper theft is getting so bad Bell Canada is sounding the alarm
There's a crime wave sweeping through eastern Canada, and it's not jewellery or bank notes the thieves are after, but the copper wire found in telecom lines. Such thefts are rising at such an 'alarming rate' that Bell Canada made a public statement about the 'growing crisis that is endangering public safety and disrupting essential communications infrastructure.' Copper theft is up 23 per cent from a year ago, with Bell reporting more than 2,270 incidents nationwide since 2022. This is not a victimless crime, says the telecom. Thieves who target the lines for copper are disrupting phone and internet access. Copper thefts now account for 88 per cent of all physical security incidents on its network, with over 500 cases reported in the first half of 2025. Major Canadian telecoms like Bell and Telus Corp. have been replacing copper in recent years with fibre, but the transition is not complete. Damage to copper lines can also harm fibre cables because they are often bundled together. 'Copper theft is a serious crime that directly threatens the safety and well-being of Canadians. These thefts are not just about stolen copper; the perpetrators often damage other infrastructure such as fibre cable and the crime can potentially put lives at risk when people can't call 911 as a result of the damage,' said Bell's chief technology officer Mark McDonald in the release. Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec are the hardest hit, with 63 per cent of all copper thefts occurring in Ontario. Hamilton, Cambridge and Windsor are particular problem areas, said Bell. Just last week two people were charged after telecom wires were cut down near Guelph. In May, thieves felled 33 hydro poles by the Hound Chute Generating Station near Cobalt, Ont., stripping them of copper wire police say was worth $100,000. In New Brunswick there have been 80 incidents so far this year, said Bell, with most of them occurring in the Fredericton–Oromocto corridor. The issue has come before the Senate Transportation and Communications Committee and Bell wants government to amend the Criminal Code to increase penalties. The telecom said it is also accelerating its transition to all-fibre, which now covers 60 per cent of its network. The world's third most consumed metal, copper is used in a wide range of industries from building construction to electronic products. One of its biggest drivers in recent years has been electric vehicles. With surging demand and dwindling supply, the scrap metal market is sometimes referred to as 'the world's largest copper mine.' Prices have been rising since the pandemic, with a surge this year sparked by the threat of United States tariffs. The benchmark London price rose to more than three-month high of almost US$10,000 a tonne last week. to get Posthaste delivered straight to your who put their money in real estate, especially condos, two years ago, might wish they chose stocks instead, according to today's chart from BMO Capital Markets. BMO argued this case in 2023, saying TSX stocks had better yields, liquidity, payout growth and tax advantages, while real estate would struggle with cash flow dynamics, building supply and sinking rents. It's a trend that has further to run, said BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic this past week. 'While cash flow dynamics in real estate are 'less bad' now with mortgage rates and prices both down, they're still not compelling enough to draw investment in from other asset classes like equities and GoCs — real estate requires a risk premium (though many forgot that).' Equities on the other hand still have relatively favourable valuations and earnings and dividends should continue to grow if Canada reaches a trade deal with the U.S., boosting the economy, he said. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Ontario Premier Doug Ford to sign Memorandums of Understanding on energy and trade. Bay Street shrugs off tariff threat as dealmaking tally hits $310 billion Stakes are high in Canada's race to become an energy superpower It's a tough time for traditional 60/40 investors With Donald Trump's tariff war keeping markets on edge, investors may be anxious about their financial plans. Allan Norman for FP Answers explains the three steps of the planning process — life planning, financial planning and financial advice — to get you what you want and keep it, no matter what happens. Recently, we published a feature on the death of the summer job as student unemployment reaches crisis levels. We want to hear directly from Canadians aged 15-24 about their summer job search. Send us your story, in 50-100 words, and we'll publish the best submissions in an upcoming edition of the Financial Post. You can submit your story by email to fp_economy@ under the subject heading 'Summer job stories.' Please include your name, your age, the city and province where you reside, and a phone number to reach you. Are you worried about having enough for retirement? Do you need to adjust your portfolio? Are you starting out or making a change and wondering how to build wealth? Are you trying to make ends meet? Drop us a line at wealth@ with your contact info and the gist of your problem and we'll find some experts to help you out while writing a Family Finance story about it (we'll keep your name out of it, of course). Want to learn more about mortgages? Mortgage strategist Robert McLister's Financial Post column can help navigate the complex sector, from the latest trends to financing opportunities you won't want to miss. Plus check his mortgage rate page for Canada's lowest national mortgage rates, updated daily. Visit the Financial Post's YouTube channel for interviews with Canada's leading experts in business, economics, housing, the energy sector and more. Today's Posthaste was written by Pamela Heaven with additional reporting from Financial Post staff, The Canadian Press and Bloomberg. Have a story idea, pitch, embargoed report, or a suggestion for this newsletter? Email us at posthaste@ Canadian dollar could hit 78 cents U.S. and sooner than expected Canada home prices seen falling further as tariff war deepens downturn 擷取數據時發生錯誤 登入存取你的投資組合 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤 擷取數據時發生錯誤
Malaysian Reserve
03-07-2025
- Malaysian Reserve
Copper theft growing at alarming rate across Eastern Canada
Copper theft up 23% year-over-year, with over 500 cases this year alone, and more than 2,270 since 2022. Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec are hardest hit. Ontario leads with 63% of all copper thefts. 75-80% of incidents in New Brunswick occur in the Fredericton and Oromocto region. In Quebec most are concentrated in the Saguenay region while in Ontario, Hamilton, Cambridge, and Windsor emerge as the province's hotspots. MONTRÉAL, July 3, 2025 /CNW/ – Bell is sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in copper thefts across Eastern Canada, a growing crisis that is endangering public safety and disrupting essential communications infrastructure. New Brunswick has emerged as one of the nation's hotspots for copper thefts, with more than 80 incidents this year alone. The Fredericton–Oromocto corridor is particularly affected, with nearly 80% of the province's thefts occurring in this area. Repeated incidents have occurred in communities such as Stanley, Hoyt, Fredericton Junction, and Keswick Ridge. Copper theft related incidents have increased 23% year-over-year across Canada. Since 2022, Bell has recorded more than 2,270 copper thefts nationwide. Copper thefts now account for 88% of all physical security incidents on Bell's network, with over 500 cases reported in the first half of 2025 alone. Ontario remains the hardest-hit province, representing 63% of all incidents, with hotspots including Hamilton, Cambridge, and Windsor. Quebec follows with 12% of cases, most concentrated in the Saguenay region. 'Copper theft is a serious crime that directly threatens the safety and well-being of Canadians. These thefts are not just about stolen copper; the perpetrators often damage other infrastructure such as fibre cable and the crime can potentially put lives at risk when people can't call 911 as a result of the damage.' — Mark McDonald, EVP and Chief Technology Officer at Bell Canada Bell is taking decisive action to combat this growing threat: Installing alarms that alert police to infrastructure tampering Deploying additional security guards and surveillance cameras Working closely with law enforcement and pursuing legal action against offenders Accelerating the transition to an all-fibre network, which now covers 60% of Bell's footprint Bell is also urging provincial and federal governments to strengthen protections for critical infrastructure by increasing penalties and amending the Criminal Code. The company is calling on the Senate Transportation and Communications Committee to revive its study on theft within the telecommunications sector. Bell encourages the public to report suspicious activity near telecom infrastructure – such as unmarked vehicles, individuals tampering with utility poles, or the sound of cutting or grinding metal – to local authorities immediately. About BellBell is Canada's largest communications companyi, providing advanced broadband Internet, wireless, TV, media and business communication services. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit or Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Media inquiries:Geoff Higdonmedia@ _________________i Based on total revenue and total combined customer connections.
Cision Canada
03-07-2025
- Cision Canada
Copper theft growing at alarming rate across Eastern Canada Français
Copper theft up 23% year-over-year, with over 500 cases this year alone, and more than 2,270 since 2022. Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec are hardest hit. Ontario leads with 63% of all copper thefts. 75-80% of incidents in New Brunswick occur in the Fredericton and Oromocto region. In Quebec most are concentrated in the Saguenay region while in Ontario, Hamilton, Cambridge, and Windsor emerge as the province's hotspots. MONTRÉAL, July 3, 2025 /CNW/ - Bell is sounding the alarm over a sharp rise in copper thefts across Eastern Canada, a growing crisis that is endangering public safety and disrupting essential communications infrastructure. New Brunswick has emerged as one of the nation's hotspots for copper thefts, with more than 80 incidents this year alone. The Fredericton–Oromocto corridor is particularly affected, with nearly 80% of the province's thefts occurring in this area. Repeated incidents have occurred in communities such as Stanley, Hoyt, Fredericton Junction, and Keswick Ridge. Copper theft related incidents have increased 23% year-over-year across Canada. Since 2022, Bell has recorded more than 2,270 copper thefts nationwide. Copper thefts now account for 88% of all physical security incidents on Bell's network, with over 500 cases reported in the first half of 2025 alone. Ontario remains the hardest-hit province, representing 63% of all incidents, with hotspots including Hamilton, Cambridge, and Windsor. Quebec follows with 12% of cases, most concentrated in the Saguenay region. "Copper theft is a serious crime that directly threatens the safety and well-being of Canadians. These thefts are not just about stolen copper; the perpetrators often damage other infrastructure such as fibre cable and the crime can potentially put lives at risk when people can't call 911 as a result of the damage." — Mark McDonald, EVP and Chief Technology Officer at Bell Canada Bell is taking decisive action to combat this growing threat: Installing alarms that alert police to infrastructure tampering Deploying additional security guards and surveillance cameras Working closely with law enforcement and pursuing legal action against offenders Accelerating the transition to an all-fibre network, which now covers 60% of Bell's footprint Bell is also urging provincial and federal governments to strengthen protections for critical infrastructure by increasing penalties and amending the Criminal Code. The company is calling on the Senate Transportation and Communications Committee to revive its study on theft within the telecommunications sector. Bell encourages the public to report suspicious activity near telecom infrastructure – such as unmarked vehicles, individuals tampering with utility poles, or the sound of cutting or grinding metal – to local authorities immediately. About Bell Bell is Canada's largest communications company i, providing advanced broadband Internet, wireless, TV, media and business communication services. Founded in Montréal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit or Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit
Telegraph
02-07-2025
- Telegraph
Police failed to tell Letby she could be facing further charges
Police failed to tell Lucy Letby that she could be facing further charges, forcing her to find out through 'gossipy' leaks to the press, her barrister has complained. Mark McDonald, defending Letby, said it was concerning that police did not 'have the courtesy' to inform her legal team that it was passing a new file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The file is thought to relate to new baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women's Hospital between 2012 and 2016. Mr McDonald argued that evidence of Letby's innocence was now 'overwhelming' and said he was concerned that police were using journalists 'as a conduit for leaked gossip'. He said: 'One could be cynical and say that the police are afraid of what will happen when Lucy's conviction is overturned. 'We will cross every bridge when we get to it, but if Lucy is charged I know we have a whole army of internationally renowned medical experts who will totally undermine the prosecution's unfounded allegations.' 'Carefully consider the evidence' Letby, 35, from Herefordshire, was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others while working at the Countess of Chester in 2015 and 2016. But since the trial, scores of scientists, medics and politicians have come forward to question how the trial was conducted, while a panel of eminent experts has reviewed the cases and concluded that there were no murders. Jeremy Hunt, who was health secretary during the period when Letby worked at the Countess of Chester, has said there are 'serious and credible' concerns regarding the conviction. The case is currently under consideration by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which looks into potential miscarriages of justice. The CCRC is expected to report back by Christmas. Following her convictions, Cheshire Constabulary announced that it would be investigating more attacks at the Countess of Chester and elsewhere, and officers have interviewed Letby in prison on several occasions. A spokesman for the force said: 'We can confirm that Cheshire Constabulary has submitted a full file of evidence to the CPS for charging advice regarding the ongoing investigation into deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neonatal units of both the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women's Hospital as part of Operation Hummingbird.' The CPS confirmed that it had received the file and said it would 'carefully consider the evidence to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought'. A spokesman said: 'As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.'
