SUZANNE HOLDSWORTH RETRIAL: PART 30; CANNINGS SEEKS PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO HER CASE, HOLDSWORTH CASE AND OTHER RELATED MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE;

"AFTER 18 MONTHS IN PRISON, MRS CANNINGS WON HER FREEDOM IN DECEMBER 2003 AFTER TAKING HER CASE TO THE COURT OF APPEAL.

SHE WAS THE THIRD WOMAN IN A YEAR TO HAVE HER CONVICTION QUASHED AFTER THE EVIDENCE OF PAEDIATRICIAN PROFESSOR ROY MEADOW WAS DISCREDITED.

AMONG THE OTHERS WAS SALLY CLARK, WHO DIED AGED 42 OF NATURAL CAUSES IN MARCH THIS YEAR.

MRS CANNINGS ADDED: "I HAVE BEEN THROUGH ALL OF THIS MYSELF AND WILL BE THERE FOR SUZANNE HOLDSWORTH."

PETERLEE MAIL;

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Angela Cannings call for a thorough public inquiry at the highest level is reported in a story by reporter Paul Watson in the Peterlee Mail under the heading, "Cot death mum in Kyle case plea," which ran on December 27, 2008;

"A COT death mum who was wrongly convicted of killing two of her children is backing calls for a Government probe into the death of two-year-old Kyle Fisher," the story began;

"Angela Cannings, 45, spent 18 months in jail before being freed by the Court of Appeal during the infamous Professor Roy Meadow scandal in which the medic was discredited and struck off," it continued;.

"Mrs Cannings, now seen as a national figurehead against injustice, has vowed to support Hartlepool babysitter Suzanne Holdsworth, who spent three years behind bars after being wrongly convicted of murdering Kyle.

She was jailed for life in April 2005. But after new medical evidence was unearthed the Court of Appeal quashed her conviction and ordered a re-trial.

After damning new medical evidence was produced, the 38-year-old, who maintained Kyle suffered a fit before unexpectedly collapsing, was unanimously cleared of his murder at her home in Millpool Close, Hartlepool, in July 2004.

The jury was told she battered the youngster's head against a wooden banister, which caused him to collapse with swelling of the brain.

But medical evidence showed the tragic child suffered from a number of pre-exisiting brain conditions which pre-disposed him to epilepsy and the possibility of an unexpected fit.

At the forefront of calls for a Government probe is Mrs Cannings, who lost her first-born, Gemma, to cot death, and who was then wrongly convicted of smothering two of her other children, 18-week-old Matthew and seven-week-old Jason.

She and fellow campaigner Penny Mellor, of the Angela Cannings Foundation, have demanded action from the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland, Children's Minister Ed Balls, Solicitor General Vera Baird and Cleveland Police Chief Constable Sean Price.

Mrs Cannings told the Mail: "There are chilling similarities between our cases.

"When I was arrested police kept telling me I had done it and to admit it and the same thing has happened with Suzanne.

"They just kept going for me from the start and what kept going through my mind with this case was the fact that they just went for Suzanne.

"When I was freed there were promises that investigations would be thorough and reviews carried out. But here we are five years on with the case of Suzanne Holdsworth.

"Cases of this nature are still not being investigated thoroughly and innocent people are being sent to prison.

"Suzanne's case is the latest injustice and a full inquiry needs to be carried out at the highest national level."

After 18 months in prison, Mrs Cannings won her freedom in December 2003 after taking her case to the Court of Appeal.

She was the third woman in a year to have her conviction quashed after the evidence of paediatrician Professor Roy Meadow was discredited.

Among the others was Sally Clark, who died aged 42 of natural causes in March this year.

Mrs Cannings added: "I have been through all of this myself and will be there for Suzanne Holdsworth.

"Her life has been ruined and now she has to build it back up.

"Thankfully she has a strong family to help with that.

"The case mirrors everything I went through and I will be there to help her get through this.""

Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;