Sally Clark
Case history written in January 2000 by Sally's father, Frank Lockyer
Cot deaths - murders?
Statistics vary according to source but
the loss of two babies is more common than supposed -
even two cot deaths. Cot
deaths are those with no obvious cause and no
unusual features but contrary to reports Sally and
Steve have never claimed two cot deaths - indeed
Christopher was certified as "respiratory
infection". The figures from the Care of Next
Infant charity (CONI) are one cot death in every
8,500, but after one cot death the risk of a second
actually increases to one in 200. The formula 1:73
million (five times smaller than the chance of winning the
lottery) is dangerous nonsense. At least, it was
dangerous to Sally and will be for every grieving
mother hereafter when, folllowing a double death, it
is transposed as the chance of a mother telling the
truth being 1:73 million.
Professors Green and Meadow are men with a mission who advance
their isolated theory that up to 40% of cot deaths are
murders. "Think dirty," advised Green in a
recent "Daily Express" feature, which so
upset the CONI organisation.
The report of
the confidential enquiry into stillbirths and deaths
in infancy (CESDI) published on February 1, 2000,
after a thorough examination over three years,
assessed maltreatment, including deliberate harm, as
well as neglect or extremely poor care, as probably in
the region of 6%, which confirms the "up to
40%" claim as dirty thinking indeed.
So
what have we here? Sally convicted of murder on the
evidence of pathologist Williams who, in the case of
Christopher, had some 14 months earlier ignored the
evidence he now cites as murder; then in the case of
Harry, stands alone that he was shaken, which is not
even supported by the other Prosecution medical
witnesses and certainly refuted by the Defence. Next,
in the case of Harry, we have Green who for 20 months
persisted that he had been shaken but who, 72 hours
before the trial, admitted that he was wrong and
substituted smothering - and was then contradicted by
Williams! A conundrum perpetuated by Drs Keeling and
Smith, the other two members of the Prosecution team,
who could not be certain whether death was natural or
unnatural and thought it should be
"unascertained." Meanwhile, the hypoxia on
which the smothering theory is based was dismissed by
the Defence team as present in all cot deaths as part
of the dying process. The Prosecution's medical
evidence changed completely between committal and
trial, prompting one paediatrician to say in court
that he had never previously been involved in a case
where so many of the Prosecution's medical findings
crumbled to dust!