Lucy Letby’s former colleague has shed light on the tea party held in anticipation of the killer nurse’s return to the ward, and claims her anger was clear to see
Lucy Letby’s fellow nurses at the Countess of Chester Hospital were fearful of her ‘anger’ after the killer returned to the neonatal unit for a tea party, an inquiry heard.
In July 2016, following a number of suspicious deaths and collapses on the ward, Letby had been moved to clerical work, after senior consultant paediatricians raised concerns regarding ‘patient safety’.
However, the Thirlwall Inquiry has determined that the 34-year-old did visit the ward after being removed from nursing duties, and on one occasion, at the end of February 2017, she attended a welcome back tea party in anticipation of her return to the unit.
Counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC said: “It appears that Letby had visited… unsupervised on one occasion in the last week of February 2017 with the knowledge of at least Alison Kelly, Susan Hodkinson, and Karen Rees. Letby attended a ‘tea party’ on the unit with Nurse Z, which Yvonne Griffiths, deputy unit manager, explained to staff was to welcome Letby back onto the unit.”
When giving her evidence, nursery nurse Jean Peers, who was present at the event, described how they’d attempted to make things as ‘relaxed’ as possible, but Letby still appeared ‘angry’. Peers revealed: “I was on [at] the weekend and so was Yvonne Griffiths, she said that Letby was coming with Nurse Z and that we would do a tea party to welcome her.
“We did cakes and tea, and she came in and we were all talking, and she did not say a word to us. Yvonne and I were talking a lot to make it nice and relaxed and when she went, we both said, ‘oh my God, she is going to make it hard for us when she returns as she seems angry’.”
In April 2017, Letby was informed that her scheduled return to the unit was being put on pause, and she was advised to cease any further visits.
Letby was arrested at her Chester home in July 2018. A jury at Manchester Crown Court found Letby guilty of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others in August 2023, following an eight-month trial. On July 2 of this year, she was found guilty of the attempted murder of another baby, Child K, following a four-week retrial. She is currently serving 15 whole life orders.
The Thirlwall inquiry, led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall, has been delayed by a retrial and Letby’s subsequent unsuccessful appeal following the initial nine-month-long court proceedings. The inquiry, held at Liverpool town hall, will investigate how Letby was able to carry out the murders and attempted murders.
Inquiry investigators will be looking at three specific areas of the events that took place between 2015 and 2016. These include the experiences of the victims’ parents, the conduct of staff at the Countess of Chester in regards to Letby’s employment as a neonatal nurse, and the effectiveness of NHS management. The inquiry continues.
Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected]