Out of the sentencing was a kick in the teeth. and 28 year old sabina nessa was murdered in a park in south east london. she was a primary school teacher. her older sister, jabina islam, called the murderer, who refused to appear, a coward . earlier, the families of lucy letby s victims gave harrowing statements in court, telling of the horror and pain of losing their children, some dying in their parent s arms. nick garnett sent this report. lucy letby, convicted of murdering seven babies, and the sentencing was not about her. after a ten month trial, a chance to tell the world about their babies and their lives. letby s victims have to stay anonymous. the luisa gonzalez first to speak today was the mother luisa gonzalez g o nza lez of gonzalez of baby. baby d was just two days old when she died. mother held a toy rabbit as she spoke.
Letby did not appear. we heard from thejudge. we also heard letby did not appear. we heard from the judge. we also heard from some of the families of the babies who she killed. it was a very emotional time in the courtroom. crucially lucy letby did not show up in the court. there are now calls for the law to change to compel defendants who are found guilty to appear at the sentencing hearings. just know you saw a picture of lucy letby s fan, the police van leaving manchester crown court where today s sentencing hearing took place. to the us, where a state of emergency has been declared in southern california, after the first tropical storm there in more than 80 years. some 26 million people are under flood warnings. water has overwhelmed drainage systems and flooded roads. our reporter courtney bembridge has more details.
To listen to proceedings. i think the government is right to move to change the law. i hope they can do that quickly. i appreciate that this is not a straightforward situation and we certainly don t want a position where defendants, in effect, are controlling things again, by refusing to come up from their cells, perhaps being violent or resisting security officers, and in effect controlling proceedings in a way that i think would be unacceptable. we have got to get the balance right here. i unacceptable. we have got to get the balance right here. balance right here. i covered some ofthe balance right here. i covered some of the end of balance right here. i covered some of the end of the balance right here. i covered some of the end of the letby balance right here. i covered some of the end of the letby case, - balance right here. i covered some of the end of the letby case, and l of the end of the letby case, and every day she would appear before the jury and the every day she w
Sentencing? the but she doesn t have to turn up for sentencing? sentencing? the law does allow trials to go sentencing? the law does allow trials to go on sentencing? the law does allow trials to go on in sentencing? the law does allow trials to go on in the sentencing? the law does allow trials to go on in the absence i sentencing? the law does allow trials to go on in the absence of sentencing? the law does allow. trials to go on in the absence of a defendant who refuses to come up from the cell. sometimes defendants are manipulative and think that by not coming into the dock, they can hold things up and prevent the case from taking place. there are provisions to allay that. there is a particular imperative here, where you have got, notjust thejudge handing down the sentence and explaining to the world at large, but in cases like this, the victims themselves, either giving evidence or having statements read, about the impact of the offending upon their lives. that is what le
Letby, a nurse at the neonatal unit, killed and attacked tiny babies over a 12 month period. consultants on the unit had worn to management about her involvement. there are now questions about the delays in moving her from questions about the delays in moving herfrom clinical care, and the time it took to calling the police. today, alison kelly, the director of nursing at the hospital at the time, was suspended from her current nhs job. a public inquiry into letby s crimes has been announced. what form it will take has yet to be decided. what is really important is to actually get the inquiry right and make sure that people, the parents who face these horrific crimes, getting the justice they need, not only in the court with lucy letby, but also from the inquiry as well. letby was delivered to court for the