Lucy Letby: Family reactions to killer nurse who "played God" as she received whole-life sentence

Family members who have waited almost a decade for a killer nurse to be brought to justice have spoken of their heartbreak and trauma.

Abhorrent child murderer Lucy Letby was today given a whole-life sentence for killing seven babies in a neonatal unit and attempting to kill six others while she worked at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.

Despite her absence from Manchester Crown Court, the parents of Letby's victims addressed the "evil" serial killer for her cruelty and cowardice. The babies and their families have been kept anonymous, as is their legal right.

The mother of Child A, who was murdered by Letby, and attempted murder victim Child B, said: "You thought it was your right to play God with our children’s lives.

"Maybe you thought by doing this you would be remembered forever but I want you to know my family will never think of you again. From this day you are nothing.”

The mother of Child C said: "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."

The mother of Child E, who died, and Child F, who survived, told Manchester Crown Court: “The trial felt like a platform for Lucy to relive her crimes and it feels cruel that we had to endure a 10-month trial when she knew all along that she intentionally killed and harmed my babies. She has repeatedly disrespected my boy’s memory.

"Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is.

"I would like to thank Lucy for taking the stand and showing the court what she is really like once the ‘nice Lucy’ mask slips. Lucy no longer has control over our lives. She holds no power or relevance in anybody’s life.

"She is nothing.”

The mother of Child I, who was also murdered by Letby, added: "I don’t think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged.

"We were both absolutely broken that someone could do something so evil to our precious little girl and this has had a massive effect on our family even until this day. We dug for years trying to get answers for what had happened and over the years we have been in some very dark places mentally.

"When we lost her a part of us died with her.”