Nurse Lucy Letby sentenced to whole life order after “cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder” at Countess of Chester Hospital

Lucy Letby has been sentenced to a whole life order , and will never be released.

Letby “refused to be present in court” said the Judge, and ordered a transcript of the proceedings be given to her. This morning saw the court hear victim impact statements, and then the Judge gave his sentencing remarks before passing sentence – which was broadcast live from inside the courtroom, with breaks in the feed to protect the anonymity of victims and families.

The judge, Mr Justice Goss, said in his remarks, “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.

“In your evidence, you said that hurting a baby is completely against everything that being a nurse is. As, indeed, it should be. You also claimed you never did anything that was meant to hurt a baby and only ever did your best to care for them. That was but one of the many lies you were found to have told in this case.”

Speaking on the sentence he added, “For the offence of murder, the sentence is fixed by law And this imprisonment for life.

“I have to determine whether the seriousness of the offences of murder individually or in combination is so exceptionally high that I should make a minimum term order and you should spend the rest of your life in prison for offences of attempted murder. Whole life sentences of imprisonment are reserved for wholly exceptional cases.

“Over a period of just under 13 months you killed seven fragile babies and attempted to kill six others.”

He described the offences as of “very exceptional seriousness”, adding it was a “cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder, involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children, knowing that your actions were causing significant physical suffering, and would cause untold mental suffering.”

“You removed and retained confidential records of events relating to your crimes, and checked up on bereaved parents There was a deep malevolence, bordering on sadism , in your actions.”

“During the course of this trial, you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing and sought to attribute some fault to others.

“You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors”

“On each of the seven offences of murder, and the seven offences of attempted murder, I sentence you to imprisonment for life. ”

A whole life order was ordered on each and every offence.

(Top picture, image of Mr Justice Goss from the live court feed.)