The Court of Appeal should uphold the convictions of a nurse who was jailed for the murders of four elderly patients, lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service have told the court.
Colin Campbell, formerly known as Colin Norris, was found guilty in 2008 of killing four women and attempting to kill a fifth by injecting them with insulin.
Doris Ludlam, Bridget Bourke, Irene Crookes, and Ethel Hall, were inpatients on orthopaedic wards where Campbell worked in Leeds in 2002 before they developed severe, unexplained hypoglycaemia and died.
Prosecutors relied on a “wholly circumstantial” case, the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said after referring the case to the Court of Appeal in London four years ago.
Campbell denied any wrongdoing and said he did nothing to cause hypoglycaemia in any of the patients.
He unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 2009 and applied to the CCRC in 2011.
On the final day of Campbell’s appeal in London on Friday, judges heard closing submissions from barristers representing the Crown Prosecution Service, who are opposing the appeal.
In written submissions, James Curtis KC said the jury in Campbell’s trial had the “exceptional assistance of a meticulous, systematic and detailed summing up” from the judge.
He added: “They were provided with the necessary relevant facts and issues, from a plethora of highly qualified and clinically experienced witnesses.
“The judge carefully summarised and explained these, and accurately directed the jury as to how to approach them.”
Michael Mansfield KC told the court on Thursday that Campbell’s appeal is a “straightforward case”, and that judges “must conclude that these convictions are unsafe”.
The appeal before Lady Justice Macur, Sir Stephen Irwin and Mr Justice Picken is due to conclude later on Friday.
