A judge in London sentenced a former neonatal nurse to life imprisonment without any possibility of release for the murders of seven babies she cared for and attempted to kill six others at.
Despite the absence of the death penalty in Britain, Lucy Letby was sentenced for refusing to attend court and face an outpouring of anger and agony from distraught parents.
Justice James Goss stated that the number of killings and attempted murders, as well as the fact that a nurse was responsible for caring for fragile infants in these cases, provided evidence to support imposing ‘whole-life order’.
“You demonstrated a profoundly sadistic demeanor in your conduct,” Goss declared to the absent defendant, who will be provided with supplementary information. “Throughout this trial, you have unambiguously denied any wrongdoing. You have no regret. There are no contributing factors.”
A jury at Manchester Crown Court, who deliberated for 22 days, found Letby, 33, guilty of killing the seven babies over a year that exploited the vulnerabilities of sick newborns and their anxious parents.
By injecting air into the lungs, giving some babies intravenous infections, and feeding them insulin while forcing others to drink milk, Letby killed them. She then used her grief to weep, make mementos for parents, bathed the young infants,and dressed them for interment.
The anonymous victims, identified as Child A and Child B in the letters provided, died in a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between May 2015 and June 2016.
The mother of a girl, who was identified as Child I, stated in court that her daughter had been subjected to torture until she no longer had to contend with it and that someone deliberately tried to protect her and ensure her safe return home.
Letby’s motive for leaving was unknown to anyone, as per the judge, with some parents speculating that she desired to be like a god, sought attention, sympathy, and attention in her life, or wanted to stand out.
Letby was given a “whole-life tariff” by Prosecutor Nicholas Johnson due to his “sadistic conduct” and premeditated crimes.
According to defense attorney Ben Myers, Letby maintained her innocence and there was nothing that could be added to reduce her sentence.
The mother of twin boys who were conceived through in vitro fertilization stated that there were no children more desperate than hers, and she was uncertain about whether she would have additional children. Letby ended Child E’s life, while Child F suffered from learning deficiencies due to insulin poisoning, according to his mother.
She expressed her sadness as she talked about the daily regrets she has for letting Letby spend the final moments of Child E’s life bathing and dressing the boy in a woolen gown.
She said: ‘Lucya’s chosen the unit and that he was laid to rest in that gown.
Letby’s focus on three sets of twins and a set of triplets resulted in multiple tragedies for other families.
After the death of her first child, another mother of twins was left grieving and feeling ashamed as her family members failed to protect the second baby and letby hit the sister who remained alive.
The mother stated that they had no idea she was waiting for them to leave, only to attack what gave them a reason to keep going.
The couple’s video was played in court, where they alleged that Letby had ruined their lives. Unfortunately, two of the triplets were not with us, and the third child survived after being transferred to another hospital.
The father declared that his anger and hatred towards her will always be strong. He added that their actions had caused significant harm to both themselves and their family.
Letby was referred to as “the devil” by her father, who claimed that she had attempted to kill his daughter twice. The nurse’s unsuccessful attempt led to the girl being left blind, with brain damage and needing tube feeding.
The father of Child G revealed that he would sit in prayer every day and pray for God to save the girl. “He saved her, but the devil had taken away her.”
The families of the victims were outraged by Letby’s absence during her sentencing, as they wished for her to express their grief about the devastation caused by her crimes.
Following the refusal of several high-profile convicts to face their victims in recent months, politicians and victim advocates have demanded alterations to the law to mandate that criminals appear before judges.
The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, expressed his dismay over the heinous acts committed and declared that his administration would introduce a scheme to require prisoners to attend their sentencing hearings soon.
Sunak remarked that it is cowardly for those who commit such atrocious acts to not be confronted by their victims and learn firsthand how their crimes have affected them, their families, and loved ones.
An autonomous investigation is set to examine the circumstances at the Countess of Chester Hospital and how staff and management responded to the increase in neonatal unit fatalities. Nevertheless, there are demands for a more formal inquiry by judicial authority, who could mandate individuals to provide testimony.
Letby’s 10-month trial was overshadowed by the fact that prosecutors claimed in 2015 that the hospital had experienced a significant increase in the number of babies who were either dying or experiencing sudden declines in their health for no apparent reason.
Certain individuals experienced “extreme catastrophic collapses” but were able to survive with the assistance of medical professionals.
Letby was present in all cases, and prosecutors labeled her as a “constant malevolent figure” in the neonatal unit when children experienced medical distress or died. The nurse caused unintentional harm to babies and convinced colleagues that their deaths were not uncommon.
Senior doctors stated that they had raised concerns about Letby as early as October 2015, and if managers had taken their concerns seriously, children could have been saved.
According to Dr. Stephen Brearey, the head consultant at the neonatal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital, deaths could have been prevented as early as February 2016, if doctors had requested an urgent meeting and executives had responded appropriately.
Letby was finally dismissed from her front-line duties in late June 2016. She was also arrested at her home in July 2018.
The police discovered records of babies that collapsed upon visiting her at the hospital. Letby had searched extensively online for information about the parents following the murders, as per investigators.
A note was discovered in her house that contained a chilling confession: “I committed the murder of them on purpose because I didn’t care for their well-being,” she wrote. “She also confessed to being incredibly evil.”
The mother of Child C cried on the witness stand while mourning the loss of her firstborn son, who was described as “feisty” and “unsecure.”
She had a memory of her son with hand and foot prints on it, which she later found out was those of Letby, the person who took his life.
“Nothing compares to the absolute pain that we have endured as a result of your actions,” she declared. “There is no question in their minds whether they knew they were being killed on purpose, but you are evil. You did this.” What happened next?