Lucy Letby

Lucy Letby is a British former neonatal nurse convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others while working at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

In August 2023, after a trial at Manchester Crown Court, Letby was convicted of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole-life order on each count. In July 2024, after a retrial on one further attempted murder count, she was convicted of attempting to murder another baby and received a further whole-life order. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that she is serving 15 whole-life orders, running concurrently.

Letby has denied the offences. Her applications for permission to appeal have been refused by the Court of Appeal. In February 2025, the Criminal Cases Review Commission confirmed that it had received a preliminary application on her behalf.

Early Life and Nursing Career

Letby was born in Hereford on 4 January 1990. She studied nursing at the University of Chester and qualified as a nurse before working in neonatal care.

She began work as a registered nurse in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2012. The later criminal case concerned babies in that unit between June 2015 and June 2016. Letby also had training placements at Liverpool Women's Hospital; those placements later drew public attention after her convictions, but the convictions related to the Countess of Chester Hospital.

By 2016, consultants at the Countess of Chester Hospital had raised concerns about unexplained deaths and collapses on the neonatal unit. Letby was moved away from clinical duties before the police investigation began.

Investigation

Cheshire Police began investigating deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit after concerns were escalated. Letby was arrested in July 2018 and later rearrested as the investigation continued.

In November 2020, she was charged with murder and attempted murder offences relating to babies cared for at the hospital. The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court before Mr Justice Goss.

The Court of Appeal later summarised the prosecution case as alleging that Letby had harmed babies in several ways, including air embolus, forcing air through nasogastric tubes, overfeeding with milk, insulin poisoning, and physical trauma. The case was circumstantial and relied on medical evidence, staffing and shift evidence, treatment records, and other strands of evidence. Letby denied all charges.

Trial and 2023 Convictions

The first trial began in October 2022 and lasted more than ten months. Letby was charged with 22 counts of murder or attempted murder in respect of 17 babies.

In August 2023, the jury found Letby guilty of:

• Seven counts of murder.
• Seven counts of attempted murder.

The jury acquitted her of two attempted murder counts and could not reach verdicts on six further attempted murder counts.

On 21 August 2023, Letby was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole-life order on each of the 14 counts for which she had been convicted. Whole-life orders mean that a prisoner is not eligible for release except in extremely limited compassionate circumstances.

2024 Retrial and Additional Whole-Life Order

After the first trial, the prosecution sought a retrial on one of the attempted murder counts where the jury had not reached a verdict. The retrial concerned Baby K and began in June 2024.

On 2 July 2024, Letby was convicted of attempted murder in that retrial. On 5 July 2024, she was sentenced to a further whole-life order. The Crown Prosecution Service said that this brought the total to 15 whole-life orders, all running concurrently.

Appeals and CCRC Application

Letby applied for permission to appeal against her 2023 convictions. The Court of Appeal refused permission. A later Court of Appeal judgment also refused permission to appeal against the 2024 attempted murder conviction, which had been challenged on the basis that the retrial should not have proceeded because of publicity following the first trial.

On 4 February 2025, the Criminal Cases Review Commission announced that it had received a preliminary application on Letby's behalf. The CCRC stated that it does not determine innocence or guilt, which remains a matter for the courts. Its role is to consider whether new evidence or argument creates a real possibility that a conviction or sentence would not be upheld if referred back to the appeal courts.

Thirlwall Inquiry

Following the convictions, the UK Government established the Thirlwall Inquiry to examine events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and their implications. The inquiry's terms of reference include:

• The experiences of parents of the babies named in the indictment.
• The conduct of staff, managers, the board, and others at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
• Whether concerns should have been raised sooner and whether Letby should have been suspended earlier.
• Wider questions about NHS management, governance, external scrutiny, professional regulation, and accountability.

The inquiry website stated in May 2026 that the final report would not be published until after the summer recess of Parliament, with further updates to follow.

Public Discussion

The case remains subject to public discussion because of the severity of the convictions, the number of babies involved, questions about hospital governance, and later criticism from some commentators about parts of the evidence. Public commentary does not alter the legal status of the convictions unless the appeal courts make a further ruling.

The CCRC review process is separate from public debate. If the CCRC refers a case, the appeal court decides whether a conviction is unsafe.

References

• Crown Prosecution Service: Lucy Letby sentenced to another whole-life order
• GOV.UK: Thirlwall Inquiry terms of reference
• Criminal Cases Review Commission: Lucy Letby application received
• Court of Appeal: R v Letby, 2 July 2024 judgment
• Court of Appeal: R v Letby, 24 October 2024 judgment
• The Thirlwall Inquiry