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Nurse Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to be told she will spend the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced later today.
The 33-year-old was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others when she was working on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. She deliberately injected newborns with air, force-fed others milk, or poisoned them with insulin.
The baby murderer is set to be sentenced on Monday from 10am at Manchester Crown Court and could be handed a rare whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss. However, she indicated to her legal team last week that she will not take any part in the hearing.
The judge said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a government source suggested “lawful enforcement” could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
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Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in a rare case that has shocked the nation.
An independent inquiry has been set up to understand how Letby was able to carry out the killings and attempt six others before being reported to the police.
The reasons why Letby, a neonatal nurse, committed the murders may never be fully understood, although prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.
Matt Mathers reports:
Lucy Letby motive: Why did serial killer nurse murder seven babies?
Prosecutors put forward several possible motives as to why Letby murdered babies
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 09:501692606903
‘If Letby not made to attend court then will continue as trend for criminals’
The aunt of murder victim Zara Aleena has said that if criminals like Lucy Letby are not persuaded to attend their sentencing it “will continue as a trend”.
Speaking on Times Radio, Farah Naz, whose niece’s killer, Jordan McSweeney, refused to attend court for his sentencing, said she feels for the families who will not get the “brief moment of retribution”.
She added: “It’s not full, but to see her in court and to stand and to have a moment perhaps where they can see that is part of her punishment…
“And so I feel sad for those families that also may want to address her in their victim impact statements. And, I think, to have that moment to address that person that’s destroyed your life certainly is so important to the process of justice and so important to the victims themselves in their own process of dealing with their trauma.
“But I think it’s much more than that. I know that we, you know, we’ve been talking about ‘face the family’… I think that Letby has to face justice, and she has to face society. And I think we don’t have to drag in the criminal. I think we can persuade them.
“There are certain other ways of getting them into the courtroom so they face justice, and that would be to extend minimum tariffs or to refuse a tariff or to refuse parole or to refuse certain privileges in prison.
“I think, if we don’t do this, this will continue as a trend. And I think what it does when an offender doesn’t appear in the courtroom, it’s another way of the offender spitting in the face of the law, but also of the victims, and taking a bit of power.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 09:351692606329
Speed ‘of the essence’ when comes to inquiry, says education minister
Speed is “of the essence” when it comes to the independent inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby’s baby murders, an education minister has said.
Asked if it should become a statutory inquiry on Sky News, Claire Coutinho said: “Well, whenever something like this happens, there’s always a debate about whether it should be statutory or non-statutory. And there are different benefits to both.
“As you say with a statutory inquiry, it means you can compel people to give evidence. With a non-statutory inquiry is often much quicker. I think, in this case, everyone wants to make sure that this will never ever happen again and I think speed is of the essence to make sure that expectant parents across the country can feel assured that they know that there are steps in place to make sure that this won’t happen again.”
On why existing legislation is not being used to bring Letby to court, Ms Coutinho said: “Well, I’m sure they will look at everything that they can do to make sure that that is enforced. But I think there are some changes that it sounds like are needed as well to make sure that in every instance the perpetrator has to go to court and have that moment, as I said, of justice.”
She added: “I’m not a justice minister, but I think one of the things that may be a challenge is if someone gets a life order, then extending custody by two years might not be enough of an incentive to make sure that people come.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 09:251692605716
Doctor calls for hospital managers to stand trial for corporate manslaughter
The prosecution’s lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby trial has called for the hospital managers who ignored consultant’s concerns about the killer nurse to stand trial for gross negligent manslaughter.
Doctor Dewi Evans said warning signs were missed, despite four consultants raising concerns about Letby. She has now been found guilty of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, De Evans said: “It is astonishing. You can not make this up”.
He added: “They should have their collars felt.”
Lucy Leeson reports:
Lucy Letby lead prosecution doctor calls for hospital managers to stand trial
The prosecution’s lead medical expert in the Lucy Letby trial has called for the hospital managers who ignored consultant’s concerns about the killer nurse to stand trial for gross negligent manslaughter. Doctor Dewi Evans said warning signs were missed, despite four consultants raising concerns about Letby. She has now been found guilty of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more. Speaking on Good Morning Britain, De Evans said: “It is astonishing. You can not make this up”. He added: “They should have their collars felt.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 09:151692605325
Former chief nursing officer calls for statutory inquiry
A statutory inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby’s baby murders should take place, a former chief nursing officer has said.
Dame Christine Beasley told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: “I think what a statutory inquiry will do is compel people to come and give evidence where in an independent inquiry people can opt out of it if they want to.
“So I really understand parents and families wanting to make sure we get to the bottom of whatever happened there so that we can actually learn.
“So I think I would go down on the side of a statutory inquiry would be better because whatever the outcome of the independent inquiry is, I feel that relatives and patients will not feel that they’ve got to the bottom of it.
“And so I think on balance, it would be best to do a statutory inquiry.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 09:081692605157
Watch: MP says criminals should be ‘dragged kicking and screaming’ to court
Labour MP says criminals should be 'dragged kicking and screaming' into court to hear sentencingTara Cobham21 August 2023 09:051692602416
‘Absolutely sickening’ Letby won’t be in court today, says children’s minister
Children’s minister Claire Coutinho said it is "absolutely sickening" that Lucy Letby will not be in court today.
But the minister defended the government’s decision to launch a non-statutory inquiry into the crisis, claiming it will be "much quicker".
Speaking to Times Radio, Ms Coutinho said: “I think it's absolutely sickening that she's not going.Her crimes have been so appalling.
“That’s the point where victims get to read their impact statements and have their moment to tell the perpetrator exactly the kind of impact that they've had on their lives.”
And asked why the government would not give the inquiry statutory powers, she said: “When you look at statutory and non-statutory inquiries, non-statutory inquiries are quicker.
“I think in this case and non-statutory inquiry, it makes more sense. So we can have that speed of understanding what's happened very quickly.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 08:201692601682
Shadow prisons minister joins calls for criminals to attend sentencing
Labour's shadow prisons minister Ellie Reeves has said criminals should be “dragged kicking and screaming” into court to hear sentencing.
Asked about Letby's apparent refusal to be in the dock for her sentencing today, Ms Reeves told BBC Breakfast: “During a trial, the victims and their families have to sit and listen to all of the evidence. The sentencing is their opportunity for their voices to be heard.
“So it is crucial the defendant is there to hear those victim impact statements, to hear about the impact their crimes have had.
“I really do think they need to be in that courtroom to hear it. It is fundamental to our justice system that justice is not only done, but seen to be done.”
Tara Cobham21 August 2023 08:081692601245
Only three women handed whole-life sentences
Prisoners given a whole-life order, previously known as a whole-life tariff, will never be considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.
Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which passed through parliament last year, the government has expanded the use of whole-life orders for premeditated murder of a child.
Only three women have previously been handed these whole-life sentences in the UK – Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, who died in 2002, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.
Namita Singh21 August 2023 08:001692599445
ICYMI: Lucy Letby awaits sentencing after being found guilty
Last Friday, jurors completed their deliberations of 110 hours and 26 minutes – spanning 22 days – following a trial which began last October.
The jury of seven women and four men convicted Letby of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder in relation to six other infants.
Cheshire Police say they are continuing to review the care of some 4,000 babies who were admitted to the Countess of Chester, and also at Liverpool Women’s Hospital when Letby had two work placements, during her employment from 2012.
Namita Singh21 August 2023 07:30
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