Nurse’s murder convictions will not be considered at Supreme Court

A nurse who was jailed for life for the murders of four elderly patients and attempting to murder a fifth will not be allowed to take his case to the Supreme Court, judges have ruled.

Colin Campbell, formerly known as Colin Norris, was found guilty in 2008 of killing Doris Ludlam, Bridget Bourke, Irene Crookes and Ethel Hall.

They were inpatients on orthopaedic wards where Campbell worked in Leeds in 2002 before they died, and had developed severe, unexplained hypoglycaemia.

Campbell denied any wrongdoing and said he did nothing to cause hypoglycaemia in any of the patients.

Court of Appeal judges Lady Justice Macur, Sir Stephen Irwin and Mr Justice Picken dismissed his appeals in June after his case was referred there by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

Lawyers for Campbell then applied to certify a point of law at the Supreme court but this was rejected by the Court of Appeal judges.

At a hearing on Tuesday, Lady Justice Macur said they “considered the appeal and considered the application on the papers”.

She added: “Consequently, we refuse to certify the question which does not arise from judgment handed down.”

Campbell was convicted in 2008 after a five-month trial at Newcastle Crown Court, during which time a total of 20 experts gave evidence.

The nurse unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in 2009 and applied to the CCRC in 2011.

In a 14-day appeals hearing, Campbell’s lawyers argued new expert knowledge meant the convictions were now unsafe while lawyers for the Crown Prosecution Service said much of the same evidence presented was heard by the jury at trial.