Sally Clark

Sally Clark 1964-2007





 
 
Sally Clark

Continuing case history written in January 2002 by Sally's father, Frank Lockyer

Contrary to some reports, Sally has not claimed the deaths were SIDS. She simply knows they were not murders. It is manifestly unfair that the Judgment should criticise that Sally had given no explanation. Particularly ironic given Sally's request that a specialised pathologist should do the second autopsy - which was ignored.

It is a matter of record that there was not a mark on either child on admission to hospital. There is no evidence other than that Sally was a totally devoted mother under whose loving care both children thrived. This was confirmed by everyone in daily contact, including doctors, nurses, midwives, and the resident nanny.

I do not believe anyone set out to stitch up Sally. But I do believe that from the moment retinal haemorrhages (a classic sign of shaking) were mistakenly diagnosed, minds were made up. Everything found, said, or done was translated as a pointer to murder. When, three days before the trial, the vital plank of retinal haemorrhages was pulled from under, both cases effectively collapsed. But over that weekend the case was saved for it had become too embarrassing to withdraw.

In the absence of direct evidence, the prosecution centred on circumstantial evidence - that Sally harboured career ambitions; that moving North had made her depressed; that her grief at the hospital was overreaction (whereas the paediatrician on duty thought it perfectly normal); perhaps the most nauseous being the interpretation of a fun letter written as from baby Harry to his Grandad, which included "I like to look angelic all day but at night prefer to keep Mummy and Daddy awake..." - allegedly revealing a harrassed Mum with a propensity to murder! Nothing throughout years as a police officer prepared me for such repugnant tactics. Not circumstantial `evidence' but rather circumstantial speculations culled from innocent communications distorted.

Sally is where she is because of bad medicine, bad statistics, and because the will to win prevailed. The jury, doubtless confused by medical contradictions, fell back on sound bites to reach a majority verdict 10-2.




Site last modified Wed Oct 12 09:58:06 BST 2011