Woodward calls off retrial bid

Louise Woodward will abandon her attempt to win a new trial over the killing of baby Matthew Eappen because of a lack of funds, her lawyers said yesterday.

In papers submitted to Massachusetts Supreme Court, the prosecution has asked for the original jury verdict to be reinstated and for Woodward to be sent back to prison for life for murder. The District Attorney, Thomas Reilly, wants a ruling that trial judge Hiller Zobel's decision to overturn the jury's verdict of second-degree murder to manslaughter was unlawful and that he should not have freed her by reducing her sentence to "time-served", allowing her instant freedom. The court could reinstate the life sentence but Woodward is appealing for the conviction to be quashed. But her lawyers told the court that if it ruled against them they would waive any claim to a new trial. This could mean Woodward returns home free but with a manslaughter conviction. Her MP, Andrew Miller, said the decision not to appeal further was solely because of a lack of money. The hearing is due on 6 March. Kate Watson-Smyth