Nurse held in hospital deaths case may sue police

Rebecca Leighton was freed from prison on Friday when prosecutors decided to halt the case against the 27-year-old whose alleged criminal damage was linked to unexplained deaths at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

Detectives are continuing to investigate the deaths of seven patients and officers have warned of up to 40 other victims of sabotaged saline drips.

The alarm had been raised in July when a higher than normal number of patients were reported to have “unexplained” low blood sugar levels amid fears saline solution had been contaminated with insulin.

Miss Leighton was arrested at her flat in Heaviley, Stockport, on July 20, on suspicion of murder, and then formally accused of causing criminal damage with intent to endanger life two days later.

Her solicitor, Carl Richmond, said: “I got the feeling there had to be a scapegoat because there was absolute chaos at the hospital and it could not function because of all the speculation.

“I was imploring the police to bail her while they continued their inquiries but the decision was made to charge.

“They jumped the gun, though, and tried to build the case against her from there rather than the usual method of bailing her pending further inquiries.”

He said he had heard rumours prosecutors involved in the case were not comfortable with charges being laid against her but ultimately the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided it thought there was enough evidence against his client.

Mr Richmond said no decision had been made yet to sue police for wrongful arrest but Ms Leighton, her family and her legal team would meet as soon as possible to discuss the matter.

The nurse had been facing three counts of causing criminal damage with intent to endanger life and three alternative counts of causing damage being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

During a bail application last month, it emerged the evidence against her amounted to her fingerprint being on a saline bag which was damaged by a needle. Her thumb print was also discovered on the bottom of a bottle of antibiotic fluid which contained insulin.

A judge at Manchester Crown Court was told “many people” had access to both the bag and the fluid, and Ms Leighton had reason to touch them in her role as acting sister.

Mr Richmond said the case later began to unravel when the bag in question – used in saline drips for patients – was later ruled not to have been tampered with.

“The police examined the bag properly and concluded it had in fact not been damaged,” he said. “We then had fingerprints of other individuals on other contaminated items but my client’s fingerprints were not on them. “The prosecution became untenable then.”

Mr Richmond said Ms Leighton’s spell in custody had taken its toll both mentally and physically. “She did thank the staff at Styal Prison for their care and support. She is still in a bad way. She is not the person she was.”

She will not be able to return to work, as an interim order suspending her from the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s register remains in place.

Mr Richmond added: “She wants to clear her name professionally even if she never nurses again.”

Greater Manchester Police are planning to interview around 500 more people, including staff, patients and visitors, out of more than 700 who could have had access to the area during the time the tampering could have taken place. Two hundred people have already been spoken to.