Nurse loses appeal against 2008 conviction for murder of four patients in Leeds

Colin Campbell, a nurse convicted in 2008 for the murder of four elderly patients, has failed in his latest attempt to overturn his convictions. Campbell, who was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison, was found guilty of murdering Doris Ludlam (80), Bridget Bourke (88), Irene Crookes (79), and Ethel Hall (86), all of whom were patients on orthopaedic wards in Leeds in 2002. The prosecution argued that Campbell injected the victims with insulin, leading to their deaths from hypoglycaemia, a condition characterized by dangerously low blood sugar levels. Although there was no direct evidence linking him to the murders, the unusual occurrence of multiple cases of hypoglycaemia in a short timeframe at the same hospital raised suspicions about his involvement. Campbell had previously appealed his conviction in 2009 without success, and the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) referred his case to the Court of Appeal four years ago, noting that the evidence against him was entirely circumstantial.

During the appeal process, concerns were raised regarding the prosecution's reliance on circumstantial evidence to establish a pattern of behavior that implicated Campbell in the murders. Despite the lack of direct evidence, the prosecution's case was built on the timing and circumstances surrounding the deaths of the four patients, leading to the conclusion that Campbell must have been responsible. The appeal court ultimately upheld his convictions, reaffirming the original verdicts. Campbell, now 49 years old and having changed his name from Norris, remains in prison as he continues to maintain his innocence in the case. This high-profile case has drawn attention to the complexities of proving medical malpractice and criminal intent in healthcare settings, raising ongoing discussions about the standards of evidence required for convictions in such sensitive cases.