On October 10, 2022, Lucy Letby pleaded not guilty to all counts as her trial at Manchester Crown Court commenced. Over the ensuing 10 months, the court heard harrowing evidence including testimonies from bereaved family members and Letby’s colleagues. One mother recounted walking into the neonatal ward to find her baby screaming with blood coming out of his mouth, and Letby standing over him.
The witness testified that Letby nonchalantly blamed the blood on a nasogastric tube, a feeding tube inserted through the nose and into the stomach, saying “Trust me, I’m a nurse”. Tragically, the baby died just hours later, and Letby later sent a sympathy card to the family, with images of the card later discovered on her phone, reported by the Mirror.
The prosecution detailed Letby’s alleged “hunting for grief” on Facebook, searching for the families of 11 victims. They cited texts in which she requested extra shifts shortly after a child’s death, including one message to the neonatal unit manager: “From a confidence point of view I need to take an ITU baby soon X”. Letby later claimed via text that she believed there was “an element of fate involved” after three infants died on the unit in two weeks.
A hospital consultant testified about an incident when he found Letby standing over a “desaturating” infant—who had low oxygen levels—without providing any care, as she claimed the baby’s condition had only just started declining. Although that baby survived, further evidence emerged when a doctor assisting the police noted unusual blood test results for two infants, suggesting deliberate poisoning by insulin. The prosecution argued that Letby injected air into a surviving twin after his brother collapsed, among other methods of harm.
In May 2023, a tearful Letby took the stand, claiming the allegations had devastated her mental health. “I don’t think you can be accused of anything worse than that. I just changed as a person, my mental health deteriorated, I felt isolated from my friends on the unit,” she said.
After 22 days of deliberation, a jury found Letby guilty of murdering seven newborns and attempting to murder six others, with mixed verdicts on additional charges. Justice Goss sentenced her on August 21, 2023, to life imprisonment with a whole life order, stating: “a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children… You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors … You will spend the rest of your life in prison.” Letby’s refusal to attend her sentencing has spurred calls for legal reform.
Subsequently, the Thirwall Inquiry was launched on September 10, 2024, to investigate the events at the Countess of Chester Hospital. In a surprising twist, on February 4, a panel of neonatal experts announced, “In all cases, death or injury were deemed to be natural causes or just bad medical care,” urging a retrial. Letby’s lead lawyer Mark McDonald countered: “The reason why Lucy Letby was convicted was because of the medical evidence that was presented to the jury. That today has been demolished.” The Criminal Cases Review Commission is now reviewing the application, ensuring the victims’ families remain central to the process.
