Lucy Letby sentencing: what is a whole-life order - what can killer nurse expect in prison?

Lucy Letby, the former nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, has been sentenced to spend her remaining life behind bars.

Letby, 33, was handed down a whole-life order for her crimes, with presiding judge Mr Justice Goss stating: “There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions. During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing.

“You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors. You will spend the rest of your life in prison.”

Letby, who refused to appear in the dock for the sentencing, has become the fourth woman in British history to be handed down such an extreme sentence. She joins a list of women, including Rose West and Myra Hindley, to be given the order as punishment for their crimes.

Whole-life orders are normally reserved as a punishment to those convicted of the most heinous crimes. Others currently in prison who are serving a whole-life order include Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield and Ali Harbi Ali.

Letby is also expected to live out her sentence at Durham's HMP Low Newton. The prison is home to some of the UK's most infamous female killers.

Here's everything you need to know about what could be next for Letby.

What is a whole-life order?

A whole-life order is a sentence handed down in which those convicted will never be released from prison. Compared to a mandatory life sentence, in which a prisoner must serve a minimum length of time before being considered for parole, there is no opportunity for parole for those handed a whole-life order.

Those sentenced to a whole-life order will only be released in exceptional compassionate circumstances, such as immediate medical care.

The premeditated murder of children was added to the list of crimes under which whole-life orders are deemed an appropriate sentence after the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act was passed into law last year. This means that Letby is likely to be handed the order under the new sentencing rules.

What can Lucy Letby expect at HMP Low Newton?

While reports are unconfirmed at this time, it is expected that Letby will be placed into custody in HMP Low Netwon in Durham, a close prison for females and young offenders.

The prison is infamous for holding some of the UK's most notorious murderers, including Rose West who stayed in a cell at the Durham prison for more than ten year until 2019. She has since been moved to HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire.

Another notable prisoner at the institution includes Joanna Dennehy, who is currently housed at the prison after being found responsible for the 2013 murders of three men in Peterborough.

Letby is expected to be placed on 24-hour suicide watch, according to one prison official. Speaking to The Mirror about the case, Ian Carson of the Prison Officers Association said: “It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s under constant watch with eyes on her 24/7.

“It would be very embarrassing if she kills herself before justice gets done. Prison officials may decide instead to check in on her every 10 minutes if she’s not deemed such a risk. They’ll have more staff supervision not only to make sure she doesn’t commit suicide but also to make sure she doesn’t escape. Prison officials could keep her apart on a wing with others who have committed offences against children.”