Salt baby death inquiry dropped

Marianne Williams denied murdering her son Joshua in 2004

A doctor accused of giving false evidence in the trial of a mother accused of killing her son by poisoning him with salt will not be prosecuted.

Marianne Williams from Wiltshire, was cleared in 2006 of murdering her 15-month-old son Joshua in 2004.

She complained to police in March last year, accusing Dr Rodney Gilbert at Southampton General Hospital of giving untruthful evidence.

The Crown Prosecution Service has now concluded he will not be prosecuted.

It said after a detailed review of the evidence, including a report from an independent expert, there was insufficient evidence to take action against Dr Gilbert.

Alastair Nisbet, head of the regional CPS complex casework unit, said: "My review of the evidence also concluded that there was no realistic prospect that Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, or any other health professional involved in the care of Joshua, would be convicted of any offence."

Joshua, who received care from Dr Gilbert for the first 14 months of his life, had high levels of sodium in his body when he died at the hospital in 2004.

The doctor told Winchester Crown Court, during Ms Williams' trial, that although he could not rule out an accident had happened he believed Joshua had been poisoned by salt.

After her acquittal allegations were made to Wiltshire Police about Dr Gilbert's treatment and a file of evidence was passed to the CPS.

Dr Gilbert, a paediatric nephrologist, denied any wrongdoing and was backed by Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Professor William Roche, medical director at the trust, said: "The trust has supported Dr Gilbert throughout this investigation.

"He is an extremely experienced and highly regarded consultant and we are pleased for him that this matter has now been concluded."