Lucy Letby sentence: will killer nurse get whole life order, when will prison term be confirmed?

Lucy Letby was convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder six more on Friday (18 August) following a disturbing trial - she is the most prolific killer of children in modern British criminal history.

She had pleaded not-guilty to seven murder charges and 10 charges of attempted murder.

Her crimes appalled those across the country as she used her position as a nurse to kill defenceless babies by injecting air into their bloodstream and then looking for sympathy among her colleagues as she presented herself as a grief-stricken victim.

Following her conviction, Letby is due to be sentenced and is expected to receive a lengthy prison term - she may receive a whole life order, the strictest penalty available in the UK, reserved for Britain’s most prolific serial killers.

The 33 year old will be sentenced by Mr Justice Goss next week, and if she is given a whole life order she will die in prison. 

What is a whole life order?

Previously called a whole life tariff, a whole life order is a sentence under which a prisoner will spend the rest of their life in prison with no possibility of parole.

They are exceedingly rare and used in only the most serious cases - around 100 whole life orders have been handed down since their introduction in 1983. 

Notorious criminals who received whole life orders include killer GP Harold Shipman, Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, Moors Murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, and serial killer Rose West.  

Only three women have been given a whole life order - Hindley, West, and Joanna Dennehy, who carried out the Peterborough ditch murders in 2013. 

Will Lucy Letby receive a whole life order?

Because Letby has been found guilty of murder and is over 21 years old, she will receive a life sentence, however the minimum tariff will be confirmed at her hearing. A life sentence generally ranges from 12 to 35 years. 

Mr Justice Goss will decide the minimum amount of time that Letby must spend in prison before she is eligible to be released based on the severity of her crimes, and the threat he believes Letby poses to the outside world.

If she does not receive a whole life order, if Letby is released after serving her life sentence, she will spend the rest of her life on licence and could be recalled to prison if it is determined that she continues to pose a risk to the public.

In May, Finley Boden’s parents were sentenced to a minimum of 29 years (for the father) and 27 (for the mother) for his murder, and this month a man who murdered his 10 month old step-son was given a minimum term of 28 years.

As Letby killed seven babies and tried to murder six more, it is likely that she will receive a sentence in excess of 30 years, and could be given a whole life order.  

When will Lucy Letby be sentenced?

Letby is due to be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Monday 21 August at 10am. She is not expected to attend the courtroom herself, and criminals cannot be compelled to attend their own sentencing hearing.