Wigan healthcare staff accused of perverting the course of justice following death of young woman are cleared after trial collapses

Laura Taylor, 27, of Ince Green Lane in Ince, Lesley Osbaldestin, 43, of Moxon Way in Ashton, Maria Anderson, 59, of Whimbrel Road, Tyldesley, and 29-year-old Bethany Clare of Pimbo Way in St Helens were on trial at Bolton Crown Court after they denied perverting the course of justice.

The case has now been dropped, partially because the Crown Prosecution Service failed to disclose all evidence to the defence before the trial began including an email which had allegedly been written by one of the defendants at the hospital, despite the fact that none of them were in work that day.

The four were accused of giving false statements about the death of Stephanie Mullineux, 23, from Liverpool, who died in February 2016.

The jury was instructed to find all of the defendants not guilty.

Another defendant, Deborah Howard, 47, of Bexhill Drive, who was giving evidence against them, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice back in August 2018 and will be sentenced at a later date.