This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6460595.stm
The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Sally Clark dies at family home | Sally Clark dies at family home |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Sally Clark - the solicitor wrongly jailed for murdering her two sons - has died, her family has announced. | Sally Clark - the solicitor wrongly jailed for murdering her two sons - has died, her family has announced. |
| Mrs Clark, 42, was jailed in 1999 for killing her 11-week-old son Christopher in December 1996 and eight-week-old Harry in January 1998. | Mrs Clark, 42, was jailed in 1999 for killing her 11-week-old son Christopher in December 1996 and eight-week-old Harry in January 1998. |
| A first appeal against the convictions failed in 2000 but she was freed in 2003 after a fresh appeal. | A first appeal against the convictions failed in 2000 but she was freed in 2003 after a fresh appeal. |
| A statement released by the family solicitor said she passed away during Thursday night at her home. | A statement released by the family solicitor said she passed away during Thursday night at her home. |
| It said she "never fully recovered" from the effects of the "appalling miscarriage of justice" she suffered, which saw her spend three years in jail. | It said she "never fully recovered" from the effects of the "appalling miscarriage of justice" she suffered, which saw her spend three years in jail. |
| "Sally... was a loving and talented wife, mother, daughter and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her." | "Sally... was a loving and talented wife, mother, daughter and friend. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her." |
| Brain infection | Brain infection |
| The statement also said the matter was in the hands of the coroner and it was too early to provide any further information. | The statement also said the matter was in the hands of the coroner and it was too early to provide any further information. |
| Mrs Clark, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, was convicted of smothering Christopher and shaking Harry to death at the luxury home she shared with her husband Stephen. | Mrs Clark, from Wilmslow, Cheshire, was convicted of smothering Christopher and shaking Harry to death at the luxury home she shared with her husband Stephen. |
| Three Court of Appeal judges eventually decided that her conviction was "unsafe". | Three Court of Appeal judges eventually decided that her conviction was "unsafe". |
| Professor Sir Roy Meadow was criticised after Mrs Clark's trial | |
| Professor Sir Roy Meadow, giving evidence during her trial, claimed the probability of two natural unexplained cot deaths in a family was 73 million-to-one. | |
| The Royal Statistical Society and other medical experts disputed the figure and said the odds of a second cot death in a family were around 200-to-one. | |
| Sir Roy was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and struck off the medical register. | |
| However, both of these decisions were overturned on appeal at the High Court. | |
| The Court of Appeal had been told that new medical evidence which suggested Harry Clark may have been suffering from a brain infection was withheld from Mrs Clark's defence team during her trial. | |
| Evidence from two pathologists helped convict Mrs Clark. | Evidence from two pathologists helped convict Mrs Clark. |
| Dr Alan Williams initially said Harry had died from being shaken - and then changed his finding to smothering during the trial. | Dr Alan Williams initially said Harry had died from being shaken - and then changed his finding to smothering during the trial. |
| Criticism | Criticism |
| Michael Green, at the time professor of forensic pathology at Sheffield University, also changed his opinion about the cause of death. | |
| Mrs Clark's barrister, Clare Montgomery QC, said at her successful appeal that new evidence emerged in 2000 that there was a staphylococcus aureus infection which had spread as far as Harry's cerebral spinal fluid. | Mrs Clark's barrister, Clare Montgomery QC, said at her successful appeal that new evidence emerged in 2000 that there was a staphylococcus aureus infection which had spread as far as Harry's cerebral spinal fluid. |
| She said the prosecution pathologist Dr Alan Williams, who had carried out post mortems on both babies, had known about this evidence since February 1998. | She said the prosecution pathologist Dr Alan Williams, who had carried out post mortems on both babies, had known about this evidence since February 1998. |
| Microbiological test results demonstrated Harry probably died suddenly in reaction to the bacteria, she added. | Microbiological test results demonstrated Harry probably died suddenly in reaction to the bacteria, she added. |