British nurse found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies

A British nurse was found guilty on Friday of killing seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others within the neonatal unit of the hospital where she was employed, establishing her as the most prolific child killer in the UK.

Lucy Letby, aged 33, had been undergoing trial since October of the prior year. She was accused of using various methods such as injecting air, overfeeding with milk, and poisoning with insulin on her sick or prematurely born victims.

Families of the victims, issuing a collective statement outside Manchester Crown Court, acknowledged the delivery of justice, but simultaneously expressed that this verdict could not erase the profound anguish, anger, and distress they have endured.

The jury, including some members in tears upon dismissal, deliberated for 22 days. They returned their initial guilty verdicts on August 8, which were revealed only on Friday due to a court order.

Following the announcement of the initial verdicts, Letby fought back tears. However, she was absent from court on Friday when the final decisions of the jurors were announced.

Subsequently, she was acquitted of two charges, while the jury could not reach a consensus on six others. Prosecutors have asked for a 28-day interval to determine whether they will pursue a retrial for those unresolved charges.

Letby is set to be sentenced on Monday. She reportedly informed her legal team that she would not be present in court for her sentencing. Her potential sentence might lead to an indefinite period of imprisonment.

The nurse’s arrest followed a series of deaths in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England from June 2015 to June 2016. Prosecutors depicted Letby as a “calculating” individual who employed methods that left minimal traces of evidence. Despite these accusations, she consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Pascale Jones, a senior prosecutor, portrayed Letby’s actions as repeated harm inflicted upon infants in an environment that should have been secure for them and their families. The prosecutor characterized the acts as a complete betrayal of the trust invested in her.

The court proceedings revealed that colleagues expressed concerns after noting Letby’s presence during each of the babies’ emergencies. Some of these incidents occurred immediately after the parents had left their infants in cribs. Prosecutors argued that Letby manipulated her colleagues into perceiving the string of deaths as mere coincidences.

The final victims, referred to as babies O and P, were part of a set of triplets. Child O died shortly after Letby’s return from a vacation in Ibiza in June 2016, while Child P passed away a day after their sibling. Prosecutors asserted that Letby also attempted to harm the third triplet, child Q. However, the jury could not reach a decision on this charge.

Prosecutors contended that by this point, Letby had lost control and was effectively making life-and-death choices. She was arrested three times, being formally charged and held in custody upon her third arrest in 2020. Police found hospital-related documents and a handwritten note in her residence with the words, “I am evil, I did this.”

Letby later explained the note, saying she wrote it after being assigned clerical duties following the deaths of the two triplets.

In her defense, Letby’s lawyer, Ben Myers, described her as a hardworking, deeply committed individual who loved her work. Letby also suggested that a group of four senior doctors framed her to conceal the hospital’s shortcomings.

During her testimony, she emphasized her aspiration to work with children and expressed her devastation at being accused of causing the deaths.

Law enforcement continues to investigate Letby’s tenure at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she previously worked. They are reviewing more than 4,000 neonatal unit admissions spanning from 2012 to 2016.

Nigel Scawn, the medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital, acknowledged the profound impact of the case on patients and highlighted significant changes implemented in hospital practices since Letby’s employment there.

Meanwhile, the government has announced an independent inquiry into Letby’s case, focusing on how clinicians’ concerns were managed by hospital administration.

UK Health Secretary Steve Barclay stated that the inquiry would provide answers needed by the victims’ parents and families and would identify instances where patient safety standards were not met.

This case has evoked memories of notorious medical murderers in Britain, including doctor Harold Shipman and nurse Beverley Allitt.

Source: AFP