They heard about lucy letby� s life and what she was like as a nurse and crucially medical evidence that pointed towards lucy letby as a Serial Killer ofjudgment, one of the most, in fact, the most prolific killer of Serial Killer of children. Our north of england correspondent Judith Moritz followed the case from the start and sent this report. She thought shed get away with it, but this was the moment the game was up. Lucy, is it . My name is. With the cheshire police. Do you mind if i step in for two seconds . Yes. Thank you. Behind the door of this ordinary suburban house, britains most prolific baby killer was finally arrested three years after her murder spree began. Just take a seat there for me, lucy. Ill move that seat forward a bit. Ive just had knee surgery. 0h, right, 0k. She worked here, on the Neonatal Unit at the countess of chester hospital. Her role to care for the most premature and vulnerable infants, but that couldnt have been further from her mind. The crying, ive never heard anything like it since. It was screaming. It was screaming, and i was like, whats the matter with them . Legally, we cant identify the families in this case, but the stories are distressing. These are the parents of twin boys born prematurely in 2015. Their mum was taking milk to them when she heard one of her sons crying loudly. He had blood round his mouth. And lucy was there, but faffing about and not really doing anything. Lucy said, dont worry, the registrar was coming. And then she told me to go back to the ward. The babys mum left him in this Intensive Care area and went to call her husband. They thought their son was in safe hands with nurse letby, but a short time later, they were told he was dangerously ill and they rushed back to find doctors trying to save him. We were taken in, and we were told to talk to him and hold his hand. And then. We had a conversation with the consultant, and he said, you know what, were going to stop because its not helping. We want him to die in your arms. On the unit, there were typically up to three deaths a year, but in 2015, they had that number in the month ofjune alone. And the pattern continued, with babies dying or coming close to death. The common factor lucy letby. This Staffing Sheet shows she was the only employee who was present every time there was a suspicious event. Dr Stephen Brearey led the team of seven consultants on the unit who shared joint concerns about letby. Hes now speaking publicly about their experience for the first time. Its something that nobody really wants to consider, you know, that a member of staff might be harming the babies under your care. Things came to a head when two out of three healthy triplets died within 2a hours of each other injune 2016. Afterwards, a meeting was held for staff. Lucy letby was there. She was sitting next to me. I spoke to her and said how tired and upset she must be after two days of this, and i hoped that she was going to have a restful weekend. And she turned to me and said, no, im back on shift tomorrow. The other staff were very traumatised by all of this. We were crumbling before your eyes, almost, and she was quite happy and confident to come into work. Lucy letby was eventually moved to a clerical role. The doctors kept trying to get managers to investigate the suspicious deaths and her connection to them. But we can now reveal that even though consultants here repeatedly made loud warnings to senior management, they say they were ignored and ultimately told that if they didnt stop raising questions about the nurse, thered be consequences. And the doctors say that even after lucy letby came off duty on the Neonatal Unit, executives tried to draw a line under the case, and it was only a year after she stopped working as a nurse that the Police Became involved. After her arrest, officers found all sorts of items in her bedroom babies medical records, her diary and notes covered in letby� s scrawl, with phrases including, i am evil. I did this. She is a killer, and using her words, she is evil. Youve spent time interviewing her and watching her in court, as well, giving evidence. Yes. What do you make of her . I think shes very emotionless. She doesnt respond to a typical Human Response that i wouldve expected. Did you have concerns that there was a rise in the Mortality Rate . Yes. There was no empathy or sympathy with whats gone on at all. I mean, there are people who look at her and say theres no way she can have done this. Its circumstantial evidence. She looks as though butter wouldnt melt. Its an example to us all of not judging a book by its cover. I weve got to accept, you know, and understand the evidence i in this case has been, i believe, significant, | and it has taken us to understand that lucy letby is a killer. As the trial ended today, letby refused to come into the courtroom. Prosecutors later reflecting on the scale of her deceit. In her hands, innocuous substances like air, milk or medication like insulin would become lethal. She perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death. The nurse even wrote this Sympathy Card to the parents of one baby and searched for many of the other families on facebook. Not a single thing that ive ever seen or witnessed of lucy would let me for a moment believe that she was capable of the things she was being accused of. Dawn is one of lucy letby� s childhood friends and has watched events unfold with disbelief. She is the kindest person that ive ever known. She would only ever want to help people. You seem utterly unshakeable on this, but isnt it possible that shes fooled you all . Unless lucy turned around and said, im guilty, i will never believe that shes guilty. The families of letby� s victims still have to live with unanswered questions, including what her motive was. I want her to be locked up, and i neverwant her to come out again. Because what shes done has changed the course of our life forever. Lucy letby had many faces party girl, graduate, bright young nurse. But each face was a mask for evil hiding in plain sight, and at last her cover has slipped. Lucy letby will now be known as one of britains most notorious criminals. Judith moritz, bbc news, manchester. Judith has been following this case Throat Notjust judith has been following this case throat not just for the judith has been following this case Throat Notjust for the criminal trial at Manchester Crown court that has lasted ten months but following the story you heard, lucy letby was first arrested back in 2016, judith has also spoken to the parents. The parents of two of the children targeted by lucy letby have spoken to the bbc about their experience. She will be sentenced on monday, the justice will deliver his sentencing remarks and hand down a sentence and near the victim impact statements delivered either by or on behalf of the families of all the children affected in this case and judith has been speaking to the parent of those twin boys. Their situation was a really difficult one as it has been for many families. They were prenatal babies being treated in the first of their baby boys was murdered by it lucy letby by an injection of air into his bloodstream and are on 2a hours later she tried to kill his brother. Lucy letby injected insulin into that particular boy and has severe learning difficulties. Judith morris has been speaking to the families. In the corridor, i could immediately hear crying. It was. It felt more than crying. It was screaming. It was screaming, and i was like, what. Whats the matter with them . I walked into the room. I seen her with my boy, and he had blood round his mouth, and lucy was there. But faffing about. You know when it feels like somebody wants to look busy but theyre not actually doing anything . What did lucy letby say to you . Lucy said, now, dont worry. She has this really. Calm demeanour about her. And she is, you know, very, very softly spoken. And, dont worry, the registrar was coming, shed already contacted him, he was on his way, and she told me to go back to the ward. I was trying to reassure my wife that, listen, these people are experts and, you know, if they say there is not a problem, youve got nothing to worry about. That was the first phone call. Quickly followed up by a second phone call with a midwife saying, you need to get here now. And there was a third phone call telling me, where are you . The priest has been called. And ijust knew. I knew at that point, you know, you dont call a priest unless someones dying. What could you see . We were taken in. And we were told to talk to him and hold his hand. He was christened. The consultant said, you know what . Were going to stop. We want him to die in your arms. Rather than being worked on. So we said, ok. And they passed him to us. And he died. Can you just talk me through what happened in the aftermath of losing your first child . How was your other son doing . One of the nurses said, you know, hes not. Hes not well. His heart rate is really, really high. What was your first thought . Its happening again. I thought it was happening again. And. I said to my husband, please, not again. We cant do this again. This cant be happening. Its. Almost bang on 2a hours since our other son had died. So i went and. Isat. With him all night. His heartrate was absolutely through the roof. You know, it didnt come down, and i wasjust like, just come down, you know. And im almost trying to will the machine, you know. Bring his heartrate down, bring his heartrate. Make it ok. And did he recover easily . Hes got severe learning difficulties. Hes got a lot of complex needs. Is it your belief that thats connected. Yes. To what happened . Yes. Directly as a consequence . It was a consequence, and hes living with it. What do you think when you go into court and you look at lucy letby . I think shes a hateful human being. Shes taken everything from us. Absolutely everything. Itsjust beyond your imagination that somebodys on a ward, killing babies. Its unbelievable. Because what shes done. Has changed the course of our life forever. The parents of those twin baby boys speaking tojudith morris. Nazir afzal is a former Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West Of England it was his team that prosecuted you have been in this position many times before, Prosecuting A case like this, putting together for the families of victims, hopefully, a case that would see the defendant convicted and an answer for families like that one. How important do you think would it have been for the Team Involved in this case to get convictions . Team involved in this case to get convictions . Essential that people are able to convictions . Essential that people are able to see convictions . Essential that people are able to see justice convictions . Essential that people are able to see justice done. Convictions . Essential that people are able to see justice done. It are able to see justice done. It doesnt offer closure but some comfort to knows that the person responsible for their loss will face the consequences. First and foremost, its a tragedy for the families of those children killed. Its essential their trauma is recognised. It is essential their loss is accepted and understood, because that is important. Its a human story. The point of the justice system, this one like the one we dealt with ten years ago, its important to ensure the show that the children did not die of natural causes. What lucy letby did was weapon eyes air, insulin, milk, things that would give life, she weapon eyes them for death. As why there was thousands of pages of medical and expert evidence that the judiciary had to listen to and they had to listen to 145 days of evidence. Very complex case with the right outcome but essential for the families that this is what happened. They were clearly diligent and thoughtful during this news, the 22nd day of their deliberations, the spent more than 110 hours discussing the various comments lucy letby was charged with. The defence case talked about it being circumstantial evidence. Talk about what that means in practice and how the prosecution countered that . In in practice and how the prosecution countered that . Countered that . In most cases you have directed countered that . In most cases you have directed evidence, countered that . In most cases you have directed evidence, such countered that . In most cases you have directed evidence, such as i countered that . In most cases you have directed evidence, such as a| have directed evidence, such as a harming bee. He did not have this here but situational evidence, you had be been harmed and a, being the only person in the room, lucy letby, you have a number of instances where one might be tragic but you have numerous incidences, theres only one explanation, that she was responsible. Circumstantial evidence has the same weight as direct evidence and this was compelling that lucy letby was responsible but the jury has to be taken through that. As complicated as it is, you have to explain it for ordinary members of the public to understand. That was a challenge but brilliantly done by the prosecutors of this case with the judge will make sure the jury with the judge will make sure the jury were totally on the case and understood what was going on. Members of the public, not off the street and a their mice it is complicated case, one cannot underestimate the skill which which they applied their minds to the evidence. ,. ,. , evidence. The parents of the twin bo s we evidence. The parents of the twin boys we heard evidence. The parents of the twin boys we heard from evidence. The parents of the twin boys we heard from a evidence. The parents of the twin boys we heard from a few evidence. The parents of the twin | boys we heard from a few minutes ago, they have looked ahead to the sentencing which will happen on monday at Manchester Crown court, they are calling for it lucy letby to spend the rest of her life behind bars. In terms of the sentence that the justice can pass, bars. In terms of the sentence that thejustice can pass, what bars. In terms of the sentence that the justice can pass, what do you think he will be considering at this point . And what are the sentences available to him . Available to him . Mandatory Life Sentence for available to him . Mandatory Life Sentence for murder available to him . Mandatory Life Sentence for murder with available to him . Mandatory Life Sentence for murder with a available to him . Mandatory Life Sentence for murder with a minimum sentence for murder with a minimum sentence would be 15 for each murder but the law in this country allows and has for 20 years, in exceptional circumstances, and i cannot think of a more set of exceptional circumstances with newborn babies been killed, we have a Serial Killer of children, the largest Serial Killer of children in which modern history, i cannot think of any sentence rather than a whole life order to be passed which means lucy letby will not be allowed to leave prison for stock that is the nature of this crime. It carries those consequences and lucy letby will face the consequences. She has made it clear she does not want to appear in court for sentences, she has not appeared for the vertex to be received and that would be troubling for the families because as we learned in recent cases, lots of defendants are saying they will not turn up for the sentence and i will not allow them to tell me of the vote. The sentence is is notjust about what the judge says but the Family Impact statement. To show what this impacts had on their lives and say to the defendants face. The fact that she would not turn up is troubling, and people will be concerned the law does not permit the court to bring her in because she has the right to not attend. You have been at she has the right to not attend. You have been at many of these moments before, and for a list of people is not something they have experienced in person to be at a sentencing for crimes as heinous as this one. How would you describe the emotions in the room, the importance of the judges remark on the people watching and on the defendant themselves . It is a privilege that i have had the opportunity to talk to homicide victims over the years and the look forward to this sentencing moment as a moment of comfort, not closure, they have lost their child forever, but it gives Comfort Thatjustice is being seen to be done. They can express to the wider public the impact of the crimes. I understand the sentencing will be televised but the sentencing will be televised but the fact that lucy letby does not want to be there is troubling and would frustrate the families, they wont get should get the chance to look her in the eye and tell her the impact it had on them. That is important in ourjustice system, is not about the professionals mark the judge orjury but the people impacted, and the fact they would not be up to share their story with lucy letby is worrying. Lucy letby is worrying. Thank you for Oininu Lucy Letby is worrying. Thank you forjoining us lucy letby is worrying. Thank you forjoining us nazir lucy letby is worrying. Thank you forjoining us nazir afzal, lucy letby is worrying. Thank you forjoining us nazir afzal, former| forjoining us nazir afzal, former chief prosecutor here in the northwest. We have been hearing at the conclusion a lot of reactions are today and many people were which hear what the contents of the hospital where it lucy letby carried out her crimes would have to say. Theres been a lot of turnover of staff since she was employed, the period of the child was from june 2015 to june period of the child was from june 2015 tojune 2016. So people who work there at the time it left the unit, who were senior at the time. 0ur Health Correspondent Dominic Hughes is outside the countess of chester hospital. He has more reaction on what the hospitals Current Administration had to say about todays verdict. The current Medical Director, dr nigel scorn. He came out and made a statement. He didnt take any questions, but he did say that the Hospital Board were extremely sorry for what had happened. He said there has been a profound impact on the community, on staff and on patients. He said that staff were devastated by what had happened. He said lessons continued to be learned. He was grateful for the staff cooperating with both the inquiry and the trial for giving evidence at the trial. He thanked the police for the care that they had shown to the investigation and also for the support they gave to the families involved. And he thanked them, also, for the support to those families. And he said, since lucy letby worked here, he said, we have made significant changes and we want to reassure everyone who accesses care and treatment here that those changes have been made. And he finally said that their thoughts were with families and loved ones at this time. So that was from dr nigel scorn at the Medical Director at the countess of chester hospital. Weve also heard from the former Medical Director who was here at the time when lucy letby was here and committed those absolutely dreadful murders and attempted murders of which hes and attempted murders of which shes now been found guilty. And weve heard also from the former chief executive at the trust, tony chambers. He said, all my thoughts are with the children at the heart of this case and their families and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time. He said, im truly sorry for what all the families have gone through. He said the crimes that have been committed are appalling and i am deeply saddened and saddened by what came to light. Now this is the key bit, he said. As chief executive, my focus was on the safety of the baby unit and the wellbeing of patients and staff. I was open and inclusive as i responded to information and guidance. He said the trial and the lengthy Police Investigation have shown the complex nature of the issues involved. He said there are always lessons to be learnt and the best place for this to be achieved would be through an independent inquiry. He said i will cooperate fully and openly with the independent inquiry which has now been ordered by the government. And we know the government ordered that inquiry very soon after those verdicts were given. And we heard from the Health Minister, helen whately, and she said there are serious questions that still need to be answered. The important thing here is that Something Like this must never happen again and of course the nhs must learn lessons. Thats why the government is launching an inquiry to make sure that all the lessons that can be learned will be learned, and that all possible action is taken so that this can never happen again. I particularly asked about the question about statutory versus Non Statutory. One of the things here is actually to make sure that this can be done at pace action taken quickly and a Non Statutory inquiry is one that can happen more quickly and be more flexible to answer the questions that need to be answered. That is Health Minister Helen Whitely speaking a little earlier this afternoon. Dominique, she talked there at the end. I think she had addressed something that people would pick up on in a case like this, which is the length of time that these inquiries often take. They are useful. They can be rich in detail, but they are not quick. And obviously some of the failings that have been exposed in this case, people will wonder, new parents, prospective parents will wonder about the safety of Neonatal Units up and down the country, what is happening to make sure that these places are immediately safe . Yeah. I think theres a clear emphasis, isnt there, in trying to get answers for families quickly, particularly around this case, but also to provide that kind of reassurance that you speak of for otherfamilies in other units. We should stress this is an extremely rare occurrence. You know, its vanishingly rare that this kind of thing happens, that these dreadful murders and attempted murders and assaults on children would take place. But when it does happen, it causes so much distress and, obviously, Anxiety Forfamilies who find themselves using facilities like this. So they want to provide that reassurance. But we know that there are moves under way to improve neonatal care. For example, the use of data that will show up red flags when there is an unexpected spike in the number of children who are dying in these units. You know, these are very, very vulnerable children. A lot of them are very sick when they come into these Neonatal Units. And if there is a spike in the data, then that should be acted on and looked into. Now, the great tragedy of what happened here at the countess of chester was the staff did notice spikes in deaths. They did try and act on it. They did try and raise it, were told, with senior management. But the great tragedy is that they say they werent listened to. They werent heard. Detective superintendent paul hughes was the chief Investigating 0fficer on the case for cheshire police. The fact that concerns were raised and were not acted on. He spoke to our correspondent, Judith Moritz and explained how Doctors First outlined their concerns to him, after he was asked to investigate back in may 2017. Not being medically trained or having a medical background. I received this and you understand that a Neonatal Unit is effectively part of an Intensive Care unit for babies. So the figures obviously for every parent is obviously unacceptable. But i didnt know was that high . Is that unusual . You know, so i had to understand a little bit about that. So i was able to meet with Stephen Brearey and ravi jayaram and another doctor and go through actually what it meant after that first meeting of the girl group. So they could help me understand. And what they explained to me was the two words of unexplained and unexpected. And it was them two words that the doctors had been trained to work out. Thats what theyve been trying to ascertain about why they couldnt they couldnt fathom the numbers. So the numbers were not actually that important because weve seen it around the country. You can have births of six babies and triplets and suddenly have a spike, sadly, that they dont survive. So it wasnt necessarily the numbers, but it was the fact that they always expect when a babys going to collapse and or sadly die. But if the very, very rare time happens where it happens unexpected, they are able to explain it through examinations and postmortems. And on these series of events that had been taking place, they were unable to do so. Hence why, despite investigations with other bodies, they were able then to come to the police and say, do you think weve got to the bottom of this or do you think there is more to it . So those doctors sat with you. They poured out their worries
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