Lucy Letby has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of the murders of seven babies and attempted murder of six others whilst working in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire.
It’s a case that people have been struggling to wrap their heads around for months, given that anyone could covertly murder multiple defenceless babies, let alone by using the cover of a respectable profession that they worked hard to get.
Judge Justice Goss told the 33-year-old there was ‘premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions’ as he handed down a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court today:
“You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions.
The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them.”
Unfortunately Letby was not present when the judge passed her sentence, as she outright refused to return to the dock, take part in her hearing, or follow proceedings via video link from prison. The judge said he will ensure she receives copies of his comments and the personal statement of the families of her victims.
Whole life orders are the strictest punishment the UK criminal justice system can hand out, which means Letby will never even be considered for release and will 100% die in prison, though it’s anyone’s guess how long she’ll last, given how child murders are treated in prison.
Letby’s crimes make her the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, and there’s even been calls for the government/justice system to take a serious look at bringing back capital punishment for this level of crime. I’m not too sure that would serve as much of a deterrent to someone as sociopathic and mentally screwed up as Lucy Letby, but it just goes to show how understandably horrified the general public is by this story.
RIP to Lucy Letby’s victims, and let’s hope this outcome provides a semblance of closure for their families.
