Radiographs — X-rays reinterpreted by the Panel
Prosecution claim
Plain chest and abdominal X-rays taken around the time of several collapses were described at trial as showing gas in unusual places — consistent, the Crown said, with deliberate injection of air into lines or deliberate over-inflation of the stomach via an NG tube.
Counter-evidence
The Panel and paediatric radiologists reviewing the same films describe the appearances as non-specific. Intraluminal gas in the gastrointestinal tract is typical of critically ill preterm infants, particularly those developing necrotising enterocolitis. Gas in hepatic vasculature — sometimes cited — is a late-stage finding in NEC and does not imply injection. The radiological inference from these films is, at best, ambiguous.
The radiographs show findings that are routine in sick preterm infants. They do not, on their own, establish any deliberate act.
What the jury heard
Expert witnesses described specific X-ray findings as consistent with air injection. The jury was shown annotated images.
What the Panel says
Independent radiologists re-reviewing the same films describe the findings as non-specific and compatible with NEC, sepsis or simple gastric distension in sick babies.
What independent experts add
- Portal venous gas in NEC is a well-described phenomenon.
- Intraluminal bowel gas is routine in critically ill neonates regardless of cause.