Former Neonatal Nurse Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering Seven Babies
A former neonatal nurse accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at a hospital in northern England has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release. Lucy Letby, who was described by the judge as ‘cruel, cunning, and callous’ and acting with ‘malevolence bordering sadism,’ refused to appear in court for her sentencing.
Letby, 33, was found guilty of murdering the seven infants over a year-long period, during which she targeted vulnerable newborns and their anxious parents. She injected intravenous lines with air, poisoned some with insulin, and force-fed others milk. Following their deaths, she would sometimes sob in grief, make keepsakes for parents, and dress the babies for burial.
The victims, listed only by letters such as Child A and Child B, died in a neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The judge, Justice James Goss, acknowledged the exceptional circumstances of the case, which warranted a rare whole-life order. Only three other women in the UK have received such a severe sentence.
During the trial, Letby denied any responsibility for her actions, showing no remorse or mitigating factors. The parents of the victims expressed their devastation and anger towards the former nurse. One father referred to Letby as ‘the devil’ and said she had tried to kill his daughter twice. Although the families of the victims wanted Letby to listen to their statements during sentencing, her absence is allowed under British law.
The crimes committed by Letby have prompted calls for a change in the law that would require criminals to attend their sentencing hearings. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the crimes as “shocking and harrowing” and pledged to bring forward a plan requiring convicts to face their victims. Additionally, there will be an independent inquiry into the Countess of Chester Hospital’s response to the spike in neonatal unit deaths.
Prosecutors argued that the hospital noticed a significant increase in infant deaths and health complications without an apparent cause, beginning in 2015. Letby was present during all of the cases and was described as a constant malevolent presence in the neonatal unit. Doctors raised concerns about her behavior as early as 2015, but no action was taken until June 2016 when she was removed from front-line duties.
Letby’s arrest came in July 2018 after police found records she had taken from the hospital and discovered her online searches for information about the parents of the babies she killed. A note was also found at her house, which served as a chilling confession. Letby wrote, “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them. I am a horrible evil person.”
The families of the victims expressed their ongoing pain and grief, emphasizing that there is no sentence that can compare to the agony they have suffered as a result of Letby’s actions. They hope that the conviction and sentencing bring some sense of justice and closure to their ordeal.