Former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, 34, has been convicted of attempting to murder a premature baby girl at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The verdict was delivered at Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday, following a retrial focusing on a single count of attempted murder.
This latest conviction adds to Letby’s previous guilty verdicts from August last year, when she was found responsible for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others between June 2015 and June 2016.
The victim, known as Child K, was born at just 25 weeks’ gestation, weighing a mere 692 grams. Prosecutors described the infant as the “epitome of fragility”. The incident occurred in the early hours of 17 February 2016, when Letby deliberately dislodged the baby’s breathing tube.
Key points from the trial:
1. Dr Ravi Jayaram, a consultant paediatrician, discovered Letby “virtually red-handed” and intervened to resuscitate Child K.
2. Letby denied any wrongdoing and claimed to have no recollection of the event.
3. The jury reached their verdict after only three and a half hours of deliberation.
4. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 am.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Letby’s “fascination” with her victims, including late-night Facebook searches for their families.
The case has prompted a public inquiry, set to begin on 10 September at Liverpool Town Hall, investigating how Letby was able to commit her crimes undetected for so long.
This latest conviction underscores the gravity of Letby’s actions and the ongoing impact on the families affected by her crimes. The healthcare sector continues to grapple with the implications of this case, as measures are sought to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Note: A court order prohibits the identification of the children involved in this case.
