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| Fresh evidence challenges 'Angel of Death' nurse Colin Norris's conviction | Fresh evidence challenges 'Angel of Death' nurse Colin Norris's conviction |
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| Fresh medical and scientific evidence is being published this week that campaigners hope will lead to the release of Colin Norris, the former nurse and so-called "Angel of Death" serving life for the murder or attempted murder of five elderly women. | Fresh medical and scientific evidence is being published this week that campaigners hope will lead to the release of Colin Norris, the former nurse and so-called "Angel of Death" serving life for the murder or attempted murder of five elderly women. |
| The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is undertaking an active re-examination of the case. | The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has confirmed it is undertaking an active re-examination of the case. |
| Norris, 37, originally from Glasgow, was convicted at Newcastle crown court in 2008 following a 19-week trial. It was alleged that he disliked elderly patients and had deliberately injected the women with insulin. The case had echoes of the late Dr Harold Shipman, who was convicted of murdering 15 of his patients but believed to have killed many more. | Norris, 37, originally from Glasgow, was convicted at Newcastle crown court in 2008 following a 19-week trial. It was alleged that he disliked elderly patients and had deliberately injected the women with insulin. The case had echoes of the late Dr Harold Shipman, who was convicted of murdering 15 of his patients but believed to have killed many more. |
| However, a new study challenges much of the evidence on which Norris was convicted. Campaigners are hopeful that fresh evidence will lead to an appeal in which it can be shown that the women could have died of natural causes. | However, a new study challenges much of the evidence on which Norris was convicted. Campaigners are hopeful that fresh evidence will lead to an appeal in which it can be shown that the women could have died of natural causes. |
| In November 2002, 86-year-old Ethel Hall was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) with a broken hip. She had had anaemia for more than 20 years and had a long history of losing consciousness for which no cause had been determined. She became unwell and died the following month. A postmortem concluded she had suffered brain damage consistent with severe hypoglycaemia. | In November 2002, 86-year-old Ethel Hall was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) with a broken hip. She had had anaemia for more than 20 years and had a long history of losing consciousness for which no cause had been determined. She became unwell and died the following month. A postmortem concluded she had suffered brain damage consistent with severe hypoglycaemia. |
| An investigation was launched by West Yorkshire police under Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Gregg, who had carried out a review of the Shipman case 18 months earlier. During the investigation, hospital staff members told police that Norris had said: "I don't think Ethel looks right", and had remarked previously "whenever I do nights, someone dies". Norris was arrested and questioned but released without charge. Colleagues arranged a party in a Leeds pub to show their solidarity with him. | An investigation was launched by West Yorkshire police under Detective Chief Superintendent Chris Gregg, who had carried out a review of the Shipman case 18 months earlier. During the investigation, hospital staff members told police that Norris had said: "I don't think Ethel looks right", and had remarked previously "whenever I do nights, someone dies". Norris was arrested and questioned but released without charge. Colleagues arranged a party in a Leeds pub to show their solidarity with him. |
| It was a further 16 months before Norris was asked about any other deaths. Police, meanwhile, researched 72 deaths in the two wards where Norris had worked. One death they looked into was that of Lucy Rowell, an elderly woman with diabetes. Police visited her family and told them they were investigating the death as a potential murder carried out by a male nurse. But when it became clear that Norris was not on duty at that time, the death "went from suspicious to non-suspicious", in the words of Rowell's granddaughter. | It was a further 16 months before Norris was asked about any other deaths. Police, meanwhile, researched 72 deaths in the two wards where Norris had worked. One death they looked into was that of Lucy Rowell, an elderly woman with diabetes. Police visited her family and told them they were investigating the death as a potential murder carried out by a male nurse. But when it became clear that Norris was not on duty at that time, the death "went from suspicious to non-suspicious", in the words of Rowell's granddaughter. |
| In May 2003, Norris was questioned in connection with four other patients: Vera Wilby, aged 90; Bridget Bourke, aged 89; Doris Ludlam, aged 80; and Irene Crooks, aged 78. It was not until October 2005 that he was charged with four murders and one attempted murder. | In May 2003, Norris was questioned in connection with four other patients: Vera Wilby, aged 90; Bridget Bourke, aged 89; Doris Ludlam, aged 80; and Irene Crooks, aged 78. It was not until October 2005 that he was charged with four murders and one attempted murder. |
| Much of the trial was devoted to testimony from medical and scientific experts, with the prosecution suggesting that the hypoglycaemia was only explicable by injections of insulin. The defence, however, argued that there was no evidence of unlawful injections in four of the five cases and challenged the lab results in the fifth case. Norris was convicted on an 11-1 majority in March 2008 and told he must serve a minimum of 30 years. | Much of the trial was devoted to testimony from medical and scientific experts, with the prosecution suggesting that the hypoglycaemia was only explicable by injections of insulin. The defence, however, argued that there was no evidence of unlawful injections in four of the five cases and challenged the lab results in the fifth case. Norris was convicted on an 11-1 majority in March 2008 and told he must serve a minimum of 30 years. |
| The findings were challenged in a 2011 film, A Jury in the Dark, made by former Rough Justice producer Louise Shorter and journalist Mark Daly. The film claimed there were logical, non-criminal explanations for all the deaths. | The findings were challenged in a 2011 film, A Jury in the Dark, made by former Rough Justice producer Louise Shorter and journalist Mark Daly. The film claimed there were logical, non-criminal explanations for all the deaths. |
| Professor Vincent Marks, a leading expert on insulin poisoning, who prepared a report for Norris's lawyer, Jeremy Moore, has concluded that, far from being extremely rare, spontaneous hypoglycaemia among non-diabetic elderly patients is relatively common. Substantial new evidence is being launched this week in a booklet published by Inside Justice, an organisation that examines potential miscarriages of justice, and associated with the prison newspaper, Inside Time. | Professor Vincent Marks, a leading expert on insulin poisoning, who prepared a report for Norris's lawyer, Jeremy Moore, has concluded that, far from being extremely rare, spontaneous hypoglycaemia among non-diabetic elderly patients is relatively common. Substantial new evidence is being launched this week in a booklet published by Inside Justice, an organisation that examines potential miscarriages of justice, and associated with the prison newspaper, Inside Time. |
| The new evidence comes from the geriatric medicine department at Rotherham general hospital and the Beds & Herts postgraduate medical school, which has published a review that concludes that "hypoglycaemia is not uncommon in hospitalised non-diabetic older people" with other serious conditions. | The new evidence comes from the geriatric medicine department at Rotherham general hospital and the Beds & Herts postgraduate medical school, which has published a review that concludes that "hypoglycaemia is not uncommon in hospitalised non-diabetic older people" with other serious conditions. |
| The study contradicts expert evidence at Norris's trial that non-diabetic hypoglycaemia was "vanishingly rare". The booklet also raises numerous anomalies relating to a blood test on a sample taken from Hall that led to the initial police investigation. | The study contradicts expert evidence at Norris's trial that non-diabetic hypoglycaemia was "vanishingly rare". The booklet also raises numerous anomalies relating to a blood test on a sample taken from Hall that led to the initial police investigation. |
| "The crown's entire case against Colin was based on the assumption that low blood sugar among non-diabetics is – to quote one prosecution expert – 'vanishingly rare'," said Paul May, of the Free Colin Norris campaign. "This has now been shown to be a fallacy." | "The crown's entire case against Colin was based on the assumption that low blood sugar among non-diabetics is – to quote one prosecution expert – 'vanishingly rare'," said Paul May, of the Free Colin Norris campaign. "This has now been shown to be a fallacy." |
| A Jury Blinded by Science: the Case of Colin Norris is published by Inside Justice, £3 | A Jury Blinded by Science: the Case of Colin Norris is published by Inside Justice, £3 |
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