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'CRUEL, CALCULATED' LUCY LETBY TO SPEND REST OF LIFE IN PRISON

Published
23 hours ago

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Image source, Cheshire Police
Image caption,
Lucy Letby was convicted of murder and attempted murder while working as a
neonatal nurse
By Judith Moritz, Daniel O'Donoghue, Lauren Hirst & Monica Rimmer
BBC News


Neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, who is the UK's most prolific child serial killer in
modern British history, will spend the rest of her life behind bars.

The 33-year-old was convicted on Friday of murdering seven babies and attempting
to kill six other infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Letby deliberately injected babies with air, force fed others milk and poisoned
two of the infants with insulin.

She refused to appear in the dock for her sentencing hearing.

The judge proceeded without her and said he was addressing her as if she were in
the dock.

Letby was given multiple whole-life terms - one for each offence - becoming only
the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a sentence.



Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available and are reserved for
those who commit the most heinous crimes.

Mr Justice Goss said the "cruelty and calculation" of Letby's actions between
June 2015 and June 2016 were "truly horrific".

This video can not be played


TO PLAY THIS VIDEO YOU NEED TO ENABLE JAVASCRIPT IN YOUR BROWSER.

Media caption,

Watch moment Lucy Letby is sentenced

"You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts
of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all
citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions," he
said.

He added handover sheets relating to all but the first four babies were found
when police searched Letby's home, which he was satisfied she kept as "morbid
records".

Passing sentence, he said: "There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your
actions.

"During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for
your wrongdoing.



"You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors."

He said Letby, originally from Hereford, would be provided with copies of his
remarks and the personal statements of the parents.

Image source, Cheshire Police
Image caption,
Lucy Letby pictured during her first interview in police custody in 2018

Ben Myers KC, defending Letby, said the neonatal nurse had "maintained her
innocence throughout these proceedings" so there was nothing he was "able to add
in mitigation that was capable of reducing the sentence".

As the hearing began, there was silence, which hung heavy, as those in courtroom
seven at Manchester Crown Court waited for the judge to enter the room.

Eight of the jurors who tried Letby over 10 months were in attendance. Some were
visibly upset as they heard about the grief, loss and distress suffered by each
family.

Parents cried quietly in the public gallery as victim impact statements were
heard. Their words made it clear the effect on their lives would be
never-ending.



Letby's parents, who had been present throughout her trial, did not attend her
sentence hearing.

Image source, Cheshire Police
Image caption,
Inside the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital

The mother of a baby boy killed by Letby said she was "horrified that someone so
evil exists".

Addressing an empty dock, the mother of Baby C, who became emotional, told the
court that knowing now that her son's murderer had been watching over them
throughout those traumatic hours was like "something out of a horror story".

The mother of Baby D, who was holding a toy rabbit as she read her statement,
said Letby's "wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted
nurse" was a "scandal".

Baby E and F's mother described Letby as a "coward" for failing to attend the
sentencing hearing, adding: "Our world was shattered when we encountered evil
disguised as a caring nurse."

"We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough,
and stays in her cell - just one final act of wickedness from a coward," she
said.

The parents of Baby G, who was the most premature of all the babies, weighing
just 535g (1lb 3oz), and who now requires constant care, told the court: "God
saved her" but then "the devil found her".

The parents of Baby N, who Letby attempted to murder in June 2016, said the
family still had a camera in their now seven-year-old's bedroom so they can
check on him while he sleeps.

"We are extremely protective," they said.




BBC ACTION LINE

This is a distressing case so if you, or someone you know, need help after
reading about it, the details of organisations offering assistance can be found
on the BBC Action Line website.



A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order, four of whom are being
held in secure hospitals.

They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional
compassionate grounds to warrant it.

The other women to have been given a whole-life sentence are serial killers Rose
West and Joanna Dennehy, as well as Moors murderer Myra Hindley, who died in
2002.

Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government to "get on" and bring forward
proposals to force offenders to face their victims after Letby refused to appear
in the dock.

"I want to see action as quickly as possible in this case, because victims'
families have been through the most awful ordeal," he said.

"I hope the government will do it because I think it can be done very quickly."




BABY SERIAL KILLER LUCY LETBY

 * The text messages Letby sent as she killed babies
 * Who is baby serial killer Lucy Letby?
 * Doctors' warnings ignored as Letby killed more babies
 * How could the NHS stop a future killer within?



Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said Letby
was "not just a murderer but a coward, whose failure to face her victims'
families, refusing to hear their impact statements and society's condemnation,
is the final insult".

"We are looking to change the law so offenders can be compelled to attend
sentencing hearings," he said.

Earlier Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also said it was "cowardly" for convicted
criminals not to face victims or their families in court.

The government has ordered an independent inquiry into the circumstances behind
Letby's killing spree but, as it stands, the inquiry will not have the power to
compel witnesses to give evidence.

As a result of this, concerns have been raised by some about how effective the
inquiry will be in examining the case.

Among them is Labour's City of Chester MP Samantha Dixon who told the BBC the
inquiry would have to rely on "the goodwill of witnesses to attend".

This video can not be played


TO PLAY THIS VIDEO YOU NEED TO ENABLE JAVASCRIPT IN YOUR BROWSER.

Media caption,

Watch the moment police arrest Lucy Letby at her home

The lead consultant at the neonatal unit where Letby worked previously said
hospital bosses failed to investigate allegations and tried to silence doctors.

Dr Stephen Brearey first raised concerns about Letby in October 2015 with
hospital managers, including Alison Kelly, who was in charge of nursing at the
time.

But he said no action was taken and Letby went on to attack five more babies,
killing two.

Ms Kelly has since been suspended as director of nursing for Rochdale Care
Organisation, which is part of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS England said the decision was made "in light of information that had emerged
during the trial".



Following the verdicts on Friday, the prosecution's lead medical expert in the
case, Dr Dewi Evans, said hospital executives who failed to act should be
investigated by police.

He said he intended to write to Cheshire Police to ask the force to investigate
bosses for not acting on the concerns of doctors.

Tony Chambers, former chief executive of the hospital, previously said he was
"truly sorry" for what the families had gone through and he would "co-operate
fully and openly" with any post-trial inquiry.

"As chief executive, my focus was on the safety of the baby unit and the
wellbeing of patients and staff," he said.

"I was open and inclusive as I responded to information and guidance."

Ian Harvey, a former medical director at the hospital, also said he would help
the inquiry "in whatever way I can".

"As medical director, I was determined to keep the baby unit safe and support
our staff," he said.

"I wanted the reviews and investigations carried out, so that we could tell the
parents what had happened to their children."



Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also
send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk


RELATED TOPICS

 * Hereford
 * Chester
 * Cheshire
 * Lucy Letby


MORE ON THIS STORY

 * Letby court absence 'final act of wickedness from coward'
   
   Published
   21 hours ago
   
   

 * What the babies' parents told Letby at her sentencing
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * Mother of Letby victim says it was like horror film
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * 'Cruel, calculated' Lucy Letby to spend rest of life in prison
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * Nurse Lucy Letby to be sentenced for baby murders
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * Lucy Letby nursing manager suspended from new role
   
   Published
   23 hours ago
   
   

 * PM: Cowardly not to face victims' families in court
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * How could the NHS stop a future killer within?
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * Judge should lead Letby inquiry - committee chair
   
   Published
   1 day ago
   
   

 * Families call for greater powers in Letby inquiry
   
   Published
   2 days ago
   
   

 * Government orders inquiry into Lucy Letby murders
   
   Published
   3 days ago
   
   

 * Nurse Lucy Letby guilty of murdering seven babies
   
   Published
   3 days ago
   
   

 * Who is baby serial killer Lucy Letby?
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   

 * The text messages Letby sent as she killed babies
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   

 * Twins' parents: 'Letby took everything from us'
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   

 * Warnings ignored as Letby killed more babies
   
   Published
   3 days ago
   
   

 * Watch: Lucy Letby's first police interview
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   

 * Watch moment police arrest Lucy Letby. Video, 00:00:43Watch moment police
   arrest Lucy Letby
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   0:43
   

 * What did Lucy Letby do to babies in her care?
   
   Published
   4 days ago
   
   


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