Lucy Letby news – latest: Killer nurse to be stripped of NHS pension after baby murders

Warning: distressing content. Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more

Live: Lucy Letby sentenced for murdering newborn babies at Chester hospital

Lucy Letby is set to be stripped of her NHS pension after her murderous rampage on the neonatal ward where she worked.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay is looking into all measures that prevent her pension from being paid to her, The Independent understands.

The NHS Pension Scheme Regulations allow him to forfeit pensions if NHS employees are convicted of crimes – particularly those that are “gravely injurious to the state or to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service”.

Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison after being found guilty of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others, but she refused to appear in the dock to hear the sentence handed down on Monday.

It sparked widespread outrage with several British newspapers calling for a law change, arguing that the worst offenders “should be forced to appear in court to witness the impact of their crimes”.

Judge Mr Justice Goss said Letby would be sent written copies of the victim impact statements.

Key Points

• Exclusive: Lucy Letby to be stripped of NHS pension after baby murders
• Serial killer nurse Lucy Letby will die in prison after being sentenced to whole life order
• Exclusive: Letby still paid by hospital for years after baby murders
• Whistleblower hits out at NHS failings after concerns about killer nurse ignored

[24 August 2023 15:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Mother of baby murdered by Lucy Letby says killer nurse chose gown child was buried in

A mother of a child murdered by Lucy Letby has revealed the serial killer nurse chose the gown that her child was buried in.

The families of Letby’s many victims are in court as part of her sentencing hearing on Monday, to explain the devastating impact the nurse’s crimes have had on their lives.

Letby was given a whole life order after being convicted on Friday of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Holly Bancroft reports:

[24 August 2023 14:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Judge Rinder joins calls for law change after Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend sentencing

Judge Rinder has called for a law change following the refusal of Lucy Letby to attend her sentencing hearing and listen to the “unbearable pain of her victims”.

Letby did not leave her cell on Monday as she was given a whole-life sentence in prison for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more.

Former barrister Robert Rinder, 45, who had a hit TV show from 2014 to 2020 during which he passed judgement on small claims court cases, tweeted: “Families of children murdered by Lucy Letby gave impact statements today.

Read the full story:

[24 August 2023 14:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Richard Madeley suggests criminals refusing to attend sentencing should be ‘tasered’

Richard Madeley has suggested that criminals such as Lucy Letby should be “tasered” if they refuse to appear for their court sentencing.

The serial killer nurse, 33, did not attend her sentencing on Monday (21 August) where she was handed a whole-life order for murdering seven babies and the attempted murders of six others.

“If we’re being told we can’t get these people back into court because... they might be aggressive and dangerous, well that’s why you go in mob-handed... you have tasers to deal with people like that, and you have truncheons,” the Good Morning Britain host said.

Holly Patrick reports:

[24 August 2023 13:30 · Martha Mchardy]

The Lucy Letby case has exposed a justice system that is failing victims

The trial of the country’s most prolific child killer has raised fundamental questions about how we prosecute criminals – only a radical overhaul of the system will deliver justice for all, writes former chief crown prosecutor Nazir Afzal.

[24 August 2023 13:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Probe into Lucy Letby murders ‘must be strengthened,’ says former UK victims’ commissioner

Dame Vera Baird KC, the UK’s former national victims’ commissioner, on Wednesday told The Independent the probe into failings surrounding the Lucy Letby baby murders must be strengthened.

Ms Baird said there “must be a duty of candour” and called for a “radical change of attitude” to victims in the Letby case.

“Poor grieving victims are treated as partisan and their views are downgraded. The scepticism of a complacent establishment,” she added.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he is engaging with the families Lucy Letby’s victims (Cheshire Constabulary/PA)) (PA Media)

[24 August 2023 12:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Watch: Mother recalls moment she found Lucy Letby standing over newborn baby’s cot

[24 August 2023 10:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Criminologists on why ‘nice’ nurse Lucy Letby became baby murderer

“It can’t be Lucy - not nice Lucy.”

These were the now-chilling words of a doctor faced with yet another devasting and inexplicable death of a baby on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

But despite her “beige” appearance, it was Lucy Letby behind that and other deaths - a “cruel and calculating” killer of children, hiding in plain sight.

Now convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to kill six others, Letby has become the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history.

But despite being sentenced on Monday to a whole life order, questions linger about what led the 33 year-old to commit such appalling crimes. While her reasons may never be fully understood, prosecutors and other experts told jurors during her trial of several possible motivations.

Tara Cobham reports:

[24 August 2023 09:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Lucy Letby’s former boss who ‘ignored concerns’ over killer nurse investigated by watchdog

Lucy Letby’s former boss, who has been accused of “ignoring” concerns about the serial killer nurse, is being investigated by the nursing watchdog.

Alison Kelly, who was director of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital before leaving in 2021, has been suspended from her current role as nursing director at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust in Salford.

Letby, Britain’s most prolific child serial killer, was on Monday handed a whole life prison sentence for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six more in 2015 and 2016 while working at the hospital.

Now, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has confirmed that her former boss, Ms Kelly, has been referred for a fitness to practise investigation.

Rebecca Thomas reports:

[24 August 2023 09:00 · Martha Mchardy]

Editorial: Were suspicions about Lucy Letby ignored to prevent ‘reputational damage’ to the NHS?

The protection of patients should never be sacrificed to protect the image of a hospital. The NHS is a service, not a business.

[24 August 2023 08:30 · Martha Mchardy]

Parents of Lucy Letby victims accuse former hospital director of ‘total fob off’

Parents of babies attacked by Lucy Letby received a “total fob off” from a hospital medical director after raising concerns, a lawyer representing them has said.

Ian Harvey was medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital at the time the 33-year-old nurse carried out her crimes, murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others, but he retired in August 2018, a month after she was first arrested.

Richard Scorer, from law firm Slater and Gordon which is representing two of the families, accused Mr Harvey of a “shameful” failure to address parental concerns.

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