Who is Lucy Letby and what crimes did killer nurse commit?
LUCY Letby is the UK’s worst-ever female serial killer.
The evil former nurse will die in jail after receiving a whole-life sentence for murdering seven babies and and attempting to kill six others.
Who is Lucy Letby?
Lucy Letby, of Hereford, was a children's neo-natal nurse in The Countess of Chester Hospital.
She graduated with a nursing degree from Chester University in 2011 and worked at Liverpool Women's Hospital following her graduation.
In 2018, Letby was arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies between June 2015 and June 2016 while working at the Chester Hospital.
She was charged with eight counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder in November 2020.
Letby's trial began in October 2022 at Manchester Crown Court and went on to span nearly ten months.
On August 18, 2023, she was found guilty of seven counts of murder, and attempting to kill six others.
Letby will die in jail after receiving a whole life sentence, meaning she will be never be released from prison.
Mr Justice Goss said at her sentencing: "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.
"The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them."
The judge also told how "lifelong harm" had been caused after Letby targeted babies whose lives were cut short "almost as soon as they began" in "horrific circumstances".
He added: "There was premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions."
Letby will face court again in June 2024 after the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed they sought a retrial on one count of attempted murder against a baby girl.
A public inquiry has been launched to investigate the circumstances surrounding Letby's crimes.
Letby was suspended from the nursing register in 2020.
At a hearing held on December 12, 2023 in east London, an independent panel ordered that Letby will be struck off the nursing register.
In a statement, Andrea Sutcliffe, NMC Chief Executive and Registrar, said: "The thoughts and sympathies of everyone at the NMC remain with the parents, families and children whose lives have been so terribly impacted by Lucy Letby's heinous and heart-breaking crimes.
“As soon as there was a verdict in the criminal trial, we moved forward with our own fitness to practise proceedings as quickly as possible, and we can confirm that an independent panel has today ordered that Ms Letby be struck off the register.
“This will take effect in January when Ms Letby will cease to be a registered nurse.
"In the meantime, she remains under interim suspension from the register.”
What have cops said?
Police fear Letby could be behind more attacks in other hospitals where she worked.
Det Supt Paul Hughes confirmed in August 2023 that Cheshire Police are looking into "some events" from Liverpool Women's Hospital.
Letby was on placement at the hospital in 2012 and 2015.
Why was an investigation launched?
Police launched a probe into the neo-natal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital in May 2017.
The hospital trust raised the alarm itself following the high number of fatalities between March 2015 and July 2016.
The death rate of babies at the hospital was over 10 per cent the average death rate for maternity wards.
In 2013, two babies died at the Countess of Chester Hospital but in 2015 eight babies died.
Medics launched an internal inquiry after finding the premature babies had collapsed with heart and lung failure but were unusually impossible to resuscitate.
A report later found the babies developed strange blotches on their arms and legs after death.
Experts could not find a cause of death and police were called in to investigate in 2017.
When was Lucy Letby previously arrested?
Letby was first arrested on July 3, 2018, on suspicion of murdering eight babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and attempted murder in relation to six others.
The cases involved families from Cheshire and North Wales.
Cheshire Police probed the deaths of 17 infants between 2015 and 2016.
Letby's arrest was part of a long inquiry into a higher than expected number of baby deaths at the Countess of Chester hospital over an 18-month period.
In November 2020, Letby was charged following a three-year investigation into the deaths of eight babies as well as the attempted murder of three further babies.
She then faced trial in 2023, ending with her conviction for murder and attempted murder.