affected. we are. court number seven is full for the sentencing. affected. we are. court number seven is full for the sentencing. the - is full for the sentencing. the jurors who heard almost ten months of evidence in this case, then spent ten hours reaching their verdict, eight of them are back in court today. many of the families of lucy letby s victims are also in court. as you mention, the stage of sentencing we are at now, it started about 45 minutes ago. it began with submissions from the prosecution defence which is usual in a case like this. the prosecution have asked for a full life sentence, a whole life sentence in this particular case, which means that if thejudge agrees particular case, which means that if the judge agrees that lucy letby would never be freed from prison. she would spent the rest of her life in prison for the seven murders and six attempted murders that she has been convicted of. the defence said that because of the severity of the
crimes, because she has not been convicted, there is very little they could offer in way of mitigation, particularly because the crime of murder has a mandatory life sentence. while the judge can work within sentencing guidelines, which gives him a small amount of flexibility in terms of the sentence he can deliver. when it comes to murder, only a life sentence can be passed in law. those are details that we will hear later this afternoon when the judge, mrjudges mrjustice goss makes his remarks. this stage we are at at the moment, these are the parents of lucy letby s victims addressing the court with their witness impact statements. in some cases they are being read out by legal counsel, but in some cases the parents are actually standing up and reading these victim impact statements. the identity of all of the babies in this case and of their parents and surviving siblings in some cases is
backin this in evidence, eight of them are back in court today to hit those victim impact statements. while lucy letby is present, she is not in the court, she is down on the holding cells. her legalteam court, she is down on the holding cells. her legal team made it clear at the end of last week that she would not be coming into court, she would not be coming into court, she would not be facing the families again and crucially she will not be facing thejudge later on again and crucially she will not be facing the judge later on this afternoon will deliver those verdicts. he will explain the sentence he has decided to give lucy letby. judges always make remarks at the end of cases like this, that are always at hand to the person convicted of the crime. lucy letby will not be here to see this. he will not be here to see this. he will continue to give those remarks as if lucy letby is in the courtroom. these remarks will be televised, as well. this is quite a new innovation. for many yea
these are children who are often still living with life changing consequences. the father of baby g saying that the baby s mother only gets about two hours a night. the mother baby was left severely disabled thanks to the attacks of lucy letby. these victim impact statements will continue. every family gets the chance to say what they want to stay in court, talk about the death of their children. in some case the births of their children and the impact of sitting through the trial has had on them. then thejudge will through the trial has had on them. then the judge will deliver his sentencing remarks and ultimately the sentence that he has decided on that he will hand to lucy letby for those crimes of murder and attempted murder. this those crimes of murder and attempted murder. , , ., ., , ., ~ murder. this is going to be taking some time- murder. this is going to be taking some time- i murder. this is going to be taking some time. i want murder. this is going to be taking some
impact statements or to hear the sentencing remarks from the judge. that is something that has happened a few times. this that is something that has happened a few times. , ., , , .,, a few times. this of course has renewed calls a few times. this of course has renewed calls for a few times. this of course has renewed calls for convicted - renewed calls for convicted criminals should be forced to go to court to hear their sentencing and to listen to these impact statements. i am just hearing of some courtroom reaction there, like we have been saying throughout all of this coverage, it is very emotional and the public gallery, i understand, is full of parents and babies, some of whom are sat there crying quietly. the parents of the babies are sat there crying quietly. some of thejury babies are sat there crying quietly. some of the jury members as well also extremely upset. it shows how this information is and how much people have of course been affected by lucy letby s crimes. peo