Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Who is killer British nurse Lucy Letby?

Letby is the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history

Who is killer British nurse Lucy Letby?

BRITISH nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill another six at the hospital where she worked in northwest England, making her one of the country's worst serial child killers.

WHO IS LUCY LETBY?


Letby, 33, was born in Hereford in central England. She completed a nursing degree at Chester University in northwest England and after qualifying, she began to work in the neonatal unit of the city's Countess of Chester Hospital.

WHAT IS THE LUCY LETBY CASE ABOUT?

Over 18 months from January 2015, there was a significant rise in the number of babies dying and suffering serious collapses at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Senior doctors became worried as many of the babies had deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly, and then did not respond to appropriate resuscitation. Other babies, who suddenly collapsed and did not die, recovered, with both their collapse and recovery defying usual medical norms.

The police and medical experts were called in and as they looked for a cause, they eventually focused on one common factor - Lucy Letby.

She was first arrested in July 2018, and then again in June 2019 and November 2020 when she was charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another 10 between June 2015 and July 2016.

WHAT WAS LETBY ACCUSED OF DOING?

Prosecutors said Letby attacked 17 babies who had been on the ward. Some she was said to have poisoned with insulin. Mostly she was accused of injecting air into their bloodstream or stomachs, or giving them excessive milk.

The victims included twins and in one case, she killed two siblings on consecutive days. The youngest baby she murdered was just a day old. The oldest was 11 weeks old, a baby girl who she attacked four times before succeeding in killing her.

Although the babies had been born prematurely, some were regarded as being in reasonable or good condition before they suddenly deteriorated, mainly during night shifts when Letby was working.

Letby attacked a number of the babies shortly after their parents had left their bedside, prosecutors said.

She denied any wrongdoing and blamed the hospital and doctors working there. But a jury convicted her of seven murders and seven attempted killings. Two of the attempted murder convictions refer to the same baby.

She was acquitted of two charges of attempted murder while jurors could not agree on six other suspected attacks.

WHY DID LETBY ATTACK THE BABIES?

Police said they had been unable to find a motive for the attacks, saying their focus had been on providing answers to the parents and families of her victims.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever know unless she just chooses to tell us," said Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, who led the investigation.

WHAT WAS LETBY LIKE?

Detective chief inspector Nicola Evans, the deputy senior investigating officer, described Letby as "beige".

"She had a healthy social life, she had a circle of friends, she had her parents and holidays, and there isn't anything unusual in any of that, there isn't anything that we have found that has been unusual," Evans said.

She said there was nothing the police could find that was unusual for a woman of her age at that point in her life.

ARE THERE OTHER VICTIMS?

Police said they were reviewing Letby's career prior to the period covered by the charges, at the Countess of Chester Hospital and at the Liverpool Women's Hospital where she had spent part of her training.

Detectives are looking at the more than 4,000 admissions made into the two hospitals' neo-natal units from 2012 to 2016.

"This does not mean we are investigating all 4,000, it just means that we are committed to a thorough review of every admission from a medical perspective, to ensure that nothing is missed throughout the entirety of her employment as a nurse," Hughes said.

"Only those cases highlighted as concerning medically will be investigated further."

(Reuters)

More For You

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Mail

The Royal Mail logo is seen on the side of a van as the UK government clear a 3.57 billion pound takeover offer by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky in London, December 16, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Ofcom updates Royal Mail delivery targets, starts pricing review

MEDIA regulator Ofcom has set new minimum delivery standards for Royal Mail and revised existing targets in an effort to reduce delays. It also announced a review into pricing and affordability, amid concerns over rising stamp prices.

Royal Mail, which has faced fines of around $20 million over the past two years for not meeting delivery targets, is currently trying to modernise operations and focus more on parcel deliveries.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sheikh Hasina

Hasina left for India at the end of the student-led protests and has not returned to Dhaka, where her trial for alleged crimes against humanity began on June 1. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Leaked audio suggests Hasina ordered use of force during 2024 protests

SOME leaked audio recordings suggest Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently on trial in absentia, ordered a deadly crackdown on protests last year.

According to the United Nations, up to 1,400 people were killed between July and August 2024 when Hasina's government cracked down on demonstrators during an attempt to stay in power.

Keep ReadingShow less