5 hours ago
By Judith Moritz, Daniel O’Donoghue, Lauren Hurst and Monica Rimmer BBC News
image copyrightCheshire Police
image caption,
Letby, a former neonatal nurse
Lucy Letby, 33, a former nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven newborns in a hospital in Chester, England, and attempting to murder six others, has been sued at the Royal Court of Justice in Manchester, North England. Judge James Goss sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
According to the verdict, Letby murdered seven newborns between June 2015 and June 2016 at Countess of Chester Hospital at the expense of the newborns’ families and other nurses. He tried to kill six others.
The defendant abused her position as a nurse by injecting the baby with air, forcing her to drink large amounts of milk and injecting her with insulin.
In April 2017, police launched an investigation after receiving a report from the hospital. The defendant was arrested in July 2018 on suspicion of murder and other charges.
Letby has pleaded not guilty.
most severe criminal punishment
image copyrightCheshire Police
image caption,
Mr. Letby is arrested at his home in July 2018 (Courtesy of Cheshire Police)
A criminal trial at the Royal Court of Manchester will begin in October 2022, with the defendants pleading not guilty to seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder. The verdict, which was announced between 8 and 18 this month, said a jury had reached a guilty verdict for the murder of seven newborns and seven attempted murders of six. He was acquitted of two attempted murders, but the jury was inconclusive on the remaining six.
The defendant burst into tears in court after being found guilty and refused to appear for sentencing today.
Judge Goss read the sentence as if Letby was in the dock.
Letby was sentenced to life in prison per count. This is the UK’s most severe criminal penalty, with no possibility of parole consideration unless there are singularly extenuating circumstances. She is the fourth woman in history to be punished in Britain. Currently, 70 people are serving life sentences in the UK.
“Malice close to sadism,” said the judge
image caption,
Judge Goss reads the sentence in Miss Letby’s absence
Judge Goss said it was “genuinely appalling” that the defendant’s “brutally calculating” offenses had been committed.
“You acted in a way that was totally different from normal human instincts to love and care for a baby. In addition, you severely undermined the trust that all citizens place in those in the medical and nursing professions.” ‘” Judge Goss said to the defendant who was not present.
The presiding judge also mentioned that when the police searched the defendant’s house, they found a work transfer form related to the fifth and subsequent babies killed, and recognized that the defendant kept it as “horrible records”. said there is.
The presiding judge then said, “There was a malice in your actions that bordered on sadism. ‘, ‘You have no regrets. There are no excuses.’
The presiding judge explained to Letby, who was absent from sentencing that day, that he would give him a “victim impact report” by the parents of the victims’ babies, along with his remarks.
image copyrightCheshire Police
image caption,
Letby during his first questioning at a police station following his arrest in July 2018.
Court-appointed attorney Ben Myers said that because Letby “had consistently maintained his innocence throughout the trial,” he “cannot offer any more mitigating factors that could lead to a reduced sentence.” Ta.
Before today’s sentencing in Chamber 7 of the Royal Courts of Manchester, the atmosphere was heavy.
Eight of the jurors who participated in the 10-month trial were in the bleachers. Not only the families but also the jury shed tears as the bereaved families told the empty docks about the damage they had suffered.
Letby’s parents, who had been present at the trial throughout the hearing, were not present that day.
image copyrightCheshire Police
image caption,
Neonatal Ward at Countess of Chester Hospital
bereaved families
A mother whose son was killed by the defendant said, “It’s terrifying that such a vicious person exists.”
The mother of the boy who was called “Baby C” at the trial said, “It’s like a horror novel,” thinking that the murderer was watching the situation near them on the night of her son’s death. did.
The mother of “Baby D” accused Letby of “abusing her position as a trusted nurse and acting viciously as if she had the right to do so.”
The mother of “Baby E” and “Baby F” accused the defendant of being a “coward” for not attending sentencing today. “Our world shattered when we met with evil pretending to be a kind nurse,” she said.
“We come to court every time, but she decides she’s had enough and doesn’t get out of jail. It’s the last heinous act by a coward.”
Baby G, who was born prematurely and weighed only 535 grams, now needs constant care. His parents told the court that “God helped my child,” but then “the devil found him.”
The parents of “Baby N,” whom Letby tried to kill in June 2016, still have security cameras in their now seven-year-old son’s bedroom “because they want to protect him at all costs.” I said there is.
Labor leader Sir Kia Sturmer, the main opposition Labor Party leader, urged the government to quickly reform the system after Letby was absent from the sentencing hearing that day, “because the victim’s family has suffered so much”. asked.
Government Justice Minister Alex ChalkSocial mediaLetby said, “Not only is he a murderer, he’s a coward. He doesn’t meet the victims’ families, doesn’t listen to reports of the impact on them, or public condemnation. He insults families and society one last time.” “We aim to revise the law so that the accused must appear in court for sentencing.”
Hospital response
The government has ordered an independent third-party commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding Letby’s serial killings in a hospital. However, since the commission does not have the authority to compel those involved to testify, there are concerns about how far it will lead to clarification of the facts.
Dr. Steven Breary, the chief senior specialist at the neonatal ward where the incident occurred, had been suspicious of Letby’s actions since October 2015. He told the hospital about his concerns, but hospital management did nothing, accusing the defendant of attacking five babies and killing two. I’ve been
The nursing director, who did not address Dr. Breary’s concerns, held a position as nursing director in another district and was suspended during the trial.
As of June 2016, Breary said he had asked hospital management to stop Letby from working.
The BBC also found that the hospital’s top management had ordered doctors who warned about Mr. Letby to submit an apology letter to Mr. Letby.
A man who became a hospital executive after the incident told the BBC that the hospital had suffered a high neonatal mortality rate after a series of babies’ deaths were not properly reported to the National Health Service (NHS). He said the NHS was unaware he was there.
Following Wednesday’s guilty verdict, prosecution medical expert Dr. Dewi Evans said hospital executives who failed to respond to warnings from on-site doctors should be subject to police investigation. Stated.
The hospital’s former chief executive, Tony Chambers, has previously said he was “really sorry” for the incident and would “fully cooperate” with the post-trial investigation after Letby.
“As Chief Executive, I made the safety of the neonatal ward and the health of our patients and staff a top priority,” he said. They acted comprehensively,” Chambers said.
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2023-08-22 07:54:38
