Lucy Letby: Killer nurse who murdered seven babies sentenced to life in prison

"Sadistic" baby killer Lucy Letby will be put behind bars for the rest of her life.

The nurse was found guilty last week of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill a further six while she worked at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. Today (21 August) she was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court - but did not attend in person.

Letby, from Westbourne Road, Chester, was charged in November 2020 with the murder of six babies and attempted murder of another 10, following a police investigation into the hospital deaths. The trial began in court last October.

Prosecuting, Nick Johnson KC called for a whole-life order - which would mean she is never eligble for release from prison - saying that "this is a very clear case".

"The offences which Lucy Letby has been convicted are are so serious, that the early release provisions should not apply," he said.

Letby's lawyer, Ben Myers KC, added nothing to mitigate the killer's heinous crimes, but said that the defendant has "maintained her innocence" during court proceedings.

The mother of one victim, known only as Baby C to protect their identity, spoke of her horror at losing her son.

She said:" Lucy Letby, to think that you could get any kind of gratification from inflicting pain on Joseph and from watching our suffering in the aftermath goes against everything I believe it is to be human.

“I am horrified that someone so evil exists. To you, our son’s life was collateral damage in your persistent desire for drama, attention, praise and sympathy. Knowing now that his murderer was watching us throughout these traumatic hours is like something out of a horror story.

"There is no sentence that will ever compare to the excruciating agony that we have suffered."

Another premature child, Baby D, was killed by Letby injecting air into her bloodstream - and her funeral was tragically held the day before her due date, the court heard.

Letby's abhorrent murder spree makes her the most prolific child serial killer of the modern age, and consultants who raised concerns at the time were even made to apologise to her.

After hearing from the prosecution, defence and victims' families, the judge, Mr Justice James Goss, sentenced Letby to a whole-life sentence for each conviction.

"Over a period of almost 13 months you murdered seven babies and attempted to murder six others," he said.

"You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies, and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical profession. The babies you harmed were born prematurely - you deliberately harmed them, attempting to kill them.

"There is no doubt that you are intelligent, which enabled you repeatedly to harm babies on the unit without arousing suspicion for some time. You used a number of different ways to try to kill them; you took opportunities to harm babies when staff were on breaks, and on some occasions falsified records.

"The impact of your crimes has been immense, as disclosed by the deeply moving personal statements. Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children.

"There was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. You have coldly deny any responsibility - you have no remorse."