Lucy Letby trial: jury shown nurse’s ‘confession’ of alleged baby murders - what did note say?

Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder another 10. She denies all charges.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A nurse accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 more wrote “I am evil I did this” in capital letters on a piece of paper found in her house, a court has heard.

Lucy Letby also wrote “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them. I am a horrible evil person,” Manchester Crown Court was told. The notes were among other papers and Post-it notes which also contained “many protestations of innocence”, Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, told the jury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Letby, 32, is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 more during an alleged killing spree on the neonatal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. She denies all charges.

What did the notes found at Lucy Letby’s house say?

Lucy Letby’s house in Westbourne Road, Chester, was searched and “interesting items” were found, Mr Johnson told the court. Paperwork relating to many of the children who died or suffered collapses was found along with Post-it notes with closely written words which included the names of some of her colleagues, the court heard.

“But I want to show you one note in particular,” Mr Johnson told jurors. Highlighting a yellow Post-it note shown on TV screens to the jury, he focused on some of the words written in ink by Letby.

Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill a further 10. Credit: SWNSLucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill a further 10. Credit: SWNS
Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill a further 10. Credit: SWNS

Mr Johnson said: “She wrote, ‘I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them’, ‘I am a horrible evil person” and in capital letters ‘I am evil I did this.’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Johnson added: “Well, ladies and gentlemen, that in a nutshell is your task in this case. Whether or not she did these dreadful things is the decision you will have to make when you have heard all the evidence.”

Along with the ‘I am evil…’ note, there were other written notes, the jury heard. Mr Johnson said these included phrases such as “Why/how has this happened – what process has led to this current situation. What allegations have been made and by who?” and “Do they have written evidence to support their comments?”

The prosecutor said that in her writings Letby expressed frustration because she was not being allowed back on the neonatal unit and wrote: “I haven’t done anything wrong and they have no evidence so why have I had to hide away?”

Mr Johnson added: “Her notes also expressed concern for the long-term effects of what she feared was being alleged against her and there are many protestations of innocence.”

Police at the home of Lucy Letby in Chester in June 2019Police at the home of Lucy Letby in Chester in June 2019
Police at the home of Lucy Letby in Chester in June 2019

Who is Lucy Letby?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She is a nurse who was working in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester at the time of the allegations.

Letby was born in 1990 and originates from Hereford, in Herefordshire. She studied for her nursing degree at the University of Chester.

She worked throughout the period in consideration at the neo-natal unit and prior to her arrest was living at an address in Chester.

Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies.Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies.
Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies.

What charges is Lucy Letby facing?

Letby is accused of murdering five boys and two girls. It is also alleged she attempted to murder another five boys and five girls. The children cannot be named for legal reasons. The allegations are said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016 while she was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Letby, of Arran Avenue, Hereford denies all the allegations. The defendant, wearing a blue jacket over a black shirt, earlier pleaded not guilty to seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder at Manchester Crown Court.

Family members of some of her alleged child victims sat in the public gallery listening as the names of the children were read out during her not guilty pleas. On the other side of the public gallery sat the defendant’s parents, John, 76, and Susan, 62.

What is the prosecution’s case against Lucy Letby?

The trial, scheduled to last six months, began on Monday and the jury has now heard in outline the seven murder and 10 attempted murder allegations.

These include allegations Letby attacked newborn babies using a variety of methods, including by insulin poisoning and injecting infants with air, causing them to stop breathing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The jury were told that consultants noticed that babies were dying or collapsing on shifts with Ms Letby. Most of the babies were born premature, some just a day old when they were allegedly attacked, the court heard.

My Johnson said: “We allege that sometimes Lucy Letby tried to kill the same baby more than once. Sometimes a baby that she succeeded in killing she did not manage to kill the first time she tried, or even the second time, and in one case even the third time.”

Jurors also heard Letby sent a sympathy card to the parents of a baby she allegedly murdered at the fourth attempt and was allegedly interrupted in the act of attacking children by unsuspecting parents and medics.

The trial continues. Letby denies all the charges. After the prosecution’s case, Letby’s barristers will make her defence.

Related topics: