In 2023, British nurse Lucy Letby was declared guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at a hospital in Chester, northwest England, between 2015 and 2016. It was sentenced to 15 life sentences. The case caused a great commotion in the United Kingdom.
The press is once again reviewing all the information on this case and one of the most surprising details is related to the nurse, who is currently serving her long prison sentence, and a few vacation spent in Ibiza. In June 2016, triplets were born in Chester hospital while Lucy Letby was on vacation on the island with friends. Upon learning of the birth, on June 22, the day before she returned to England, she sent a WhatsApp message to a colleague at the hospital expressing her excitement to meet the newborns (it was the first time triplets had been born naturally in that neonatal unit) and commented “I’ll probably come back with a bang, hahaha.”.
This message has relevance to the court, as it may suggest that the nurse already had intentions to harm them. In fact, 72 hours after this conversation, two of the triplets had died (the court identified them as O and P, to protect their identity).
Statements of counsel
Letby’s attorney, Mark McDonald, stated that the police made a “big mistake” following statements by detectives suggesting that hospital staff could face manslaughter charges. McDonald argues that it is victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Cheshire Police have been conducting a corporate manslaughter investigation at the Countess of Chester Hospital, where Letby worked as a nurse, and they said the inquiry had been extended to gross negligence manslaughter. They further stated that suspects had been identified and reported in relation to the investigation into infant deaths between 2012 and 2016. The Thirlwall Inquiry, a public inquiry into the events surrounding Letby’s crimes, will reconvene at Liverpool City Hall to present closing arguments.
“It is surprising that on the eve of the legal debate to stop the Thirlwall Inquiry the police have decided to issue a press release that talks of gross negligence manslaughter”mcDonald expounded. “We now have substantial and significant expert evidence that completely demolishes the case and points in a very different direction to the police investigation,” he added.
Timeline of horror: how Letby attacked babies
Lucy Letby carried out her horrific crimes over a one-year period at the Countess of Chester Hospital. While working in the neonatal ward she used insulin and air for injection to newborns.
The collapses and deaths of the children were not “natural tragedies,” but the gruesome work of “poisoning” by Letby.
It was all finally uncovered after the staff became suspicious of the “significant increase” in the number of babies dying or suffering “catastrophic” collapses. It was concluded that Letby was the “common denominator” among the horrific incidents.
Agents then searched her three-bedroom home in Chester and discovered a chilling amount of evidence: the nurse had scrawled disturbing notes in diaries and sticky notes, including one that read: “I am evil, I did this.”. Furthermore, the note added: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to take care of them. I’m a horrible person.”.
An investigation is currently underway to determine whether Letby harmed other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
A corporate manslaughter investigation is also ongoing, as well as one for gross negligence manslaughter.
For the full article, please visit Diario de Ibiza website here.