As Lucy Letby begins the new year behind bars, with a sinister new companion, the Mirror takes a look back at her trial, where she was seen clutching a grim comforter as she awaited her fate from the dock
Serial killer Lucy Letby was seen clutching onto a comforter throughout her harrowing trial that shocked the country, where courtroom reporters were struck by her “severe” and seemingly emotionless disposition.
In August 2023, following a lengthy trial at Manchester Crown Court, the now 34-year-old was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill seven more between 2015 and 2016 at Chester’s Countess of Chester Hospital, where she’d worked as a nurse. Last July, Letby was handed her 15th whole-life term for attempting to murder a premature baby girl.
She is now looking ahead to spending the rest of her life behind bars, with precious little to look forward to in the grim years and decades ahead. During her trial, however, the convicted child killer apparently managed to find a scrap of comfort through an object she clung to in the courtroom, all while the murdered babies’ families looked on from the gallery.
In a report penned in August 2023, BBC News’ Judith Moritz wrote of her impressions of Letby, gleaned from the 10 months she’d spent observing the killer in the courtroom. Noting the stark difference from the photos of Letby out enjoying herself with pals, Judith recalled how her dyed blonde hair was back to its natural brown and how she appeared “feeble” as she clutched her chosen comfort object.
She remembered: “Behind the glass screen of the dock, she cut a feeble figure, flanked by prison officers and clutching a pink scarf like a comforter. A severe expression replaced the smiles from her photos.”
In another part of the article, Judith spoke of how Letby appeared emotionless as the details of the infant tragedies were relayed – appearing upset only when flirty messages between herself and a doctor pal were discussed. Judith recounted: “I found it interesting that while the nurse remained composed throughout months of evidence relating to the terrible suffering of tiny babies, her first sign of emotion seemed to be borne out of pangs of longing for this doctor.”
This follows reports that Letby has allegedly struck up a twisted friendship with Sara Sharif’s evil stepmother, Beinash Batool, behind the bars of the privately-run HMP Bronzefield in Surrey. A source said: “Beinash and Lucy live on the same wing with all the other lifers. They hang out on the landing together most days, playing cards and chatting. The child killers always stick together because they want to protect themselves, so it doesn’t surprise me in the least that they get along so well.”
Shortly before spending another Christmas behind bars, Letby’s hopes for an appeal into her sentence were tarnished once more when a leading medical expert in the case clarified claims that he had changed his mind over the cause of death for three of her victims as “unsubstantiated” and “inaccurate”.
Last month, retired consultant paediatrician Dr Dewi Evans responded to assertions made by Letby’s barrister Mark McDonald, who argued that the prosecution’s lead medical witness had altered his views on how the newborn babies had died at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.
Addressing reporters on December 16, Mr McDonald announced that he was immediately seeking permission from the Court of Appeal to relook at Letby’s case on the grounds that Dr Evans is “not a reliable expert”, asserting that the former nurse’s convictions for murder and attempted murder are unsafe.
However, in response to Mr McDonald’s statement, Dr Evans said: “Mr Mark McDonald’s observations regarding my evidence is unsubstantiated, unfounded, inaccurate. His method of presenting his information reflects clear prejudice and bias. I find his style most unedifying, most unprofessional. It’s highly disrespectful to the families of babies murdered and harmed by Lucy Letby.”
The Thirlwall Inquiry, which began in September to examine the events at the Countess of Chester Hospital, was paused over the festive period but will resume this month. The findings are expected to be published this autumn.
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