The Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies and of trying to kill six other infants in a trial at Manchester Crown Court that has lasted over ten months
The jury spent 110 hours coming to a verdict and was undecided on the attempted murder of another four babies.
She was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder.
The verdicts mean that Letby has become the UK’s most prolific killer of babies in modern time.
The 33 year old was also found guilty of attempting to murder another six babies.
Two of her victims who survived, known as Child L and M, were twin brothers who had been born prematurely. They were just days old when Letby tried to kill them within hours of each other.
Among the survivors are children, now aged seven or eight, who require round-the-clock care – and will need it for the rest of their lives.
The judge described the trial as ‘a most distressing and upsetting case’ as he discharged the jury.
Letby, who was described by police as ‘vanilla’ and had denied all 22 charges against her, tried to blame the deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital on poor hospital hygiene and staffing levels.
During some of the verdicts Letby cried, as her victims’ families sobbed and comforted one another. A member of the jury also cried and held her head in her hands.
The hospital repeatedly ignored warnings. Indeed, the lead consultant at the neonatal unit where Letby worked has told the BBC that hospital bosses failed to investigate allegations and tried to silence doctors. Dr Stephen Brearey first raised concerns in October 2015.
No action was taken and Letby went on to attack five more babies, killing two. The hospital also delayed calling the police despite months of warnings that the nurse may have been killing babies.
The prosecution was able to present evidence of Letby using various methods to attack babies, including: the injection of air and insulin into their bloodstream; the infusion of air into their gastrointestinal tract; force feeding an overdose of milk or fluids; impact-type trauma. Her intention was to kill the babies while deceiving her colleagues into believing there was a natural cause.
Pascale Jones of the CPS said:
“Lucy Letby sought to deceive her colleagues and pass off the harm she caused as nothing more than a worsening of each baby’s existing vulnerability.
“In her hands, innocuous substances like air, milk, fluids – or medication like insulin – would become lethal. She perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death.
“Time and again, she harmed babies, in an environment which should have been safe for them and their families.
“Her attacks were a complete betrayal of the trust placed in her.
“My thoughts are with families of the victims who may never have closure, but who now have answers to questions which had troubled them for years.”
Jonathan Storer, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said:
“This is an utterly horrifying case. Like everyone who followed the trial, I have been appalled by Letby’s callous crimes.
“To the families of the victims – I hope your unimaginable suffering is eased in some way by the verdicts. Our thoughts remain with you.
“Our prosecution team and police investigators have my respect and gratitude. These convictions could not have happened without their dedication to securing justice.”
