'Cot death' killers look to experts

Sally Clark has always protested her innocence

A solicitor convicted of murdering her two babies, which she claims were cot deaths, is to use some of the world's leading medical experts to clear her name.

Campaigners for Sally Clark believe the evidence could also clear Angela Cannings, jailed for murdering two of her babies after claiming they were cot death victims.

Sue Stapely, who represents Mrs Clark, said the campaign to free her is hiring forensic pathologists who specialise in paediatrics.

She said the experts could then be used to help Angela Cannings, who was convicted on Tuesday of the murder of her two baby sons.

Angela Cannings murdered her two baby sons

Clark was found guilty at Chester Crown Court in November 1999 of smothering 11-week-old Christopher in 1996 and shaking eight-week-old Harry to death a year later at the family home in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

She has always denied the charges but has already lost one appeal and is currently applying to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to be allowed another.

Cannings, 38, of Salisbury, Wiltshire, was jailed for life after being found guilty of the murder of seven-week-old Jason in June 1991 and 18-week-old Matthew in November 1999.

Cannings had denied the murder charges and claimed both babies were victims of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Her solicitor William Bache indicated that Cannings would appeal against the conviction.

Injustice claim

Ms Stapely said: "If any of the evidence is useful to Sally it may be something that Bill Bache would be interested to look at for the appeal of Mrs Cannings."

Ms Stapely said that there were only limited similarities between the two cases but she believed the conviction of Cannings might have been a miscarriage of justice.

Ms Stapely said the Clark family had been following the Cannings case closely.

"Increasingly when babies die through no known reason, and the only person in attendance is the mother, then as a consequence suspicion falls on the mother," she said.

"Unless you can find out the reasons why the baby died then the burden of proof shifts on to the mother.

"Instead of being innocent unless proved to be guilty, they are having to prove that they are innocent."