Heartbreaking words from the families of evil nurse Lucy Letby’s victims
Parents who lost babies at the hands of nurse Lucy Letby – the UK’s most prolific child serial killer – have revealed their heartbreak.
Baby A was murdered a day after he and his twin sister Baby B were born by caesarean in June 2015.
He died just 90 minutes after Lucy Letby’s shift started. She then tried to murder his twin sister, The Sun reported.
Parents’ statement:
“You thought it was your right to play God with our children’s lives.
“Never could we have imagined that the most precious things in our lives would have been placed in harm’s way and in the care of a nurse capable of such despicable actions.
“We never got to hold our little boy while he was alive. What should have been the happiest time of our lives had become our worst nightmare.
“We struggle with anxiety, depression and PTSD and sometimes we almost want to give up.
“But we never will, we have a duty to our children. We have a duty to keep [Baby A]’s memory alive for generations to come and we have a duty to give [Baby B] the best life possible and we will spend our lives doing that
“You thought that you could enter our lives and turn it upside down, but you will never win. We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.”
What the judge said:
“In evidence, you sought to blame others for his collapse.
“The following day you searched for [Baby A]’s mother on Facebook and then, on the ensuing night shift, at shortly after midnight on 10th June, you attempted to murder his sister, [Baby B], by injecting air into her venous system via a long line through which she was receiving nutrition. Fortunately, she was able to be resuscitated and survived.”
MURDER OF BABY C
Baby C was born seven weeks premature and murdered at four days old.
Letby was seen standing over his monitor as his alarm sounded, despite not being his nurse. He died after she injected air into his stomach.
Parents’ statement:
“I will always remember the overwhelming wave of emotion that I felt the first time I held [Baby C].
“That moment I will never forget. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. The way he smelt, the feel of his fine blond hair on my chin. My tiny feisty boy, my first born, my son.
“The shock and panic of the night that he collapsed will stay with me forever. It was so sudden, so unbelievable. It really felt like I was watching someone else’s life, not my own.
“Knowing now his murderer was watching us throughout these traumatic hours is like something out of a horror story.
“I blamed myself entirely for his death – I still live with the guilt that I couldn’t protect him in pregnancy or in his short life.
“There is no sentence that will ever compare to the excruciating agony we have suffered as a consequence of your murder of our son. But at least now there is no debate – in your own words, you killed them on purpose. You are evil. You did this.”
What the judge said:
“[Baby C] died some hours later in his parents’ arms.
“Before he passed away, you made an insensitive and inappropriate, but revealing, comment to them about them having said their goodbyes and to put him in a ventilated basket.”
MURDER OF BABY D
Baby D, a caesarean birth, had responded well to treatment before Letby murdered the infant by injecting air into her bloodstream in June 2015.
Her mum pushed for answers but was initially told it was not a police matter.
Mother’s statement:
“Lucy Letby had a chance to say something to us all and she had only one word – ‘unimaginable’.
“Her wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is a scandal. Lucy Letby, you failed God and the plans he had for (Baby D).
“You even called it fate. You were clearly disconnected with God. After today I hope to be free of this limbo state I have been stuck in. The heavy load constantly on my mind has deeply changed me.
“My heart broke into a million pieces the second (Baby D) lost her battle against evil.
“Those lives were not yours to take and although I am torn with sadness, anger and unanswered questions, I cannot forgive you. There is no forgiving, not now, not ever. I missed (Baby D) so much.
“I was desperate to feel her, smell her, cuddle her. I was desperate to keep her safe. I considered ending it all, I couldn’t continue and didn’t really want to.
“I was hoping so hard that maybe if I went to the other side I would see my daughter and be with her. Since (Baby D) passed away I live behind my own shadow.”
What the judge said:
“You decided to kill her and administered air into her intravenously, causing her to die from air embolus.
“In your messaging with other nurses after (Baby D)’s death, you described how upsetting it was and how distraught her parents were and referred to thinking an element of fate was involved.
“Three days after (Baby D) died, you searched for her parents on Facebook and, over three months later … you made two more searches.”
MURDER OF TWIN BABY E, ATTEMPTED MURDER OF TWIN BABY F
Babies E and F were twin boys born after several rounds of IVF.
Lucy Letby killed Baby E in August 2015 then attempted to kill his brother 24 hours later.
Baby F lived but now has complex learning difficulties and is non-verbal.
Parents’ statement:
“Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys. No children in the world were more wanted than them.
“It feels cruel that we had to endure a ten-month trial when Lucy knew all along that she intentionally killed and harmed my babies.
“The disrespect she has shown show what type of person she is. We attended court day in and day out, yet she has had enough, and stays in her cell – one final act of wickedness from a coward.
“We are living with a life sentence because of Lucy’s crimes. We have been living a nightmare but, for me, it ends today. I refuse to wake up with my first thought to be about my boys being harmed.
“Lucy no longer has control. She holds no relevance in anybody’s life. She is nothing.
“Our world shattered when we encountered evil disguised as a caring nurse. Losing [Baby E] was the most difficult thing we have ever experienced. The heartbreak and shock left us numb.”
What the judge said:
“The bleeding started earlier in the shift and was seen by his mother; she was very concerned and you sought to reassure her.
“The circumstances of the attempted resuscitation and his death were harrowing, with profuse bleeding.
“You said in messages to colleagues he had a massive haemorrhage and it could have happened to anyone.”
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BABY G
Baby G was targeted twice by Lucy Letby and left severely disabled.
The girl, who is now eight, is registered blind and has to be fed through a tube. She has cerebral palsy and progressive scoliosis, with her mum only getting about two hours’ sleep a night due to the care they need to give their daughter.
Letby was found guilty of trying to murder the little girl, who was “on the margins of viability” because she was so premature.
She was first targeted on the 100th day of her life when Letby deliberately injected milk and air into her stomach.
Parents’ statement:
“Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her.
“Everything feels like a constant battle just to have the essential things that [Child G] needs during her daily life. She will never have a sleepover with a best friend, or go to high school and graduate. She will never have a first kiss, a boyfriend, or get married. She will always be in her chair.
“Our worry is: what if [Child G] outlives us and has no one to care for her.”
Baby G was the most premature of all of Letby’s victims, weighing just 0.45kg when she was born and only 2.26kg when her parents were finally able to take her home.
It was not until an MRI scan when the girl was two that the extent of her brain damage was discovered.
Speaking about receiving the call to say someone was arrested, the father said in his statement: “I just didn’t expect that. I just want it to be over now.”
In a statement made to the police, the girl’s mother recalled the banner and cake which had been made to celebrate her reaching 100 days old.
“I remember it was Lucy who was looking after her that day. [That night] was such a shock to us and she [Baby G] looked as though she was going to die,” she said.
She was described as “a little fighter” who survived numerous scares after being born in May 2015.
Before the first attack her mum said: “She was smiling and was really alert with the nurses. I would read to her and sing to her, and you would notice the difference when you did.”
But after that incident on September 7 her mother said “she looked different” and did not respond to nurses in the same way.
She recalled a time when she had left her with Letby and another nurse but returned to find her child “freaking out and screaming”.
What the judge said:
“In September, you made two attempts to kill [Baby G].
“She was a very premature baby who was born in Arrowe Park Hospital on 31st May at only 23 weeks and six days’ gestation.
“Although on the margin of survival, she did survive. By 13th August she was stable and was transferred to the Countess of Chester, where the general trend of improvement continued.
“The 7th September was her 100th day of life; nurses had planned a small celebration, including the display of a banner.
“On the nightshift of 6th – 7th, you deliberately injected milk and air into [Baby G]’s stomach down the naso-gastric tube shortly after her designated nurse had fed her, causing her to projectile vomit; her alarms sounded, her heart rate and saturation levels dropped and she required breathing assistance.
“You were nearby and assisted, and later sought to blame a colleague for potentially overfeeding.
“In messaging prior to [Baby G] being transferred back to Arrowe Park in the early hours of 8th September, you referred to her being a ‘high risk baby’.
“Five days after [Baby G]’s return to the Countess of Chester on 16th September, you made a further attempt to kill her by overfeeding her, causing her to projectile vomit again and stop breathing and her saturations to drop.
“[Baby G] suffered a severe and profound injury to her brain from the first event on 7th September, which may have been added to by your actions on 21st September, and from which she will not recover.
“She requires constant nursing care and will require surgery and support throughout her life.”
MURDER OF BABY I
Baby I, a two-and-a-half-month-old girl, was murdered with a fatal injection of air in October 2015.
Letby had tried to kill her four times before succeeding.
Baby I was born 10 weeks premature, weighing just 0.9kg, but was stable and did not need specialised care.
Her family had been told they would be able to take her home soon when she collapsed after Letby’s actions.
Parents’ statement:
“I don’t think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged.
“We were both absolutely broken that someone could do something so evil to our precious little girl and this has had a massive effect on our family even until this day.
“We dug for years trying to get answers for what had happened and over the years we have been in some very dark places mentally.
“[Baby I’s father] wished he was dead, he wished it was him that died and not [Baby I].
“When they handed [Baby I] to us we never wanted to let her go, we held her so tight. She was our gorgeous little princess and I can’t even begin to explain the pain.
“When we lost her, a part of us died with her.”
What the judge said:
“She, too, died in her parents’ arms. Not only was it devastating for the family, it was also deeply upsetting for the nursing and medical staff, who had known and cared for [Baby I] for some time and had fought to save her. Again you searched for her mother on Facebook.”
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BABIES L AND M
Lucy Letby attempted to murder twin boys Baby L and Baby M in April 2016.
Baby L was poisoned with insulin, while his younger brother, Baby M, was injected with air.
They survived, but Baby M was left with brain damage.
Mother’s statement:
“This case has taken its toll on our family and seeing my husband suffer throughout the last five years has been heartbreaking for me to witness.
“The doctors told us what took place with my children was normal for premature babies and we believed it.
“Little did we know that a year or so after their birth the police would come knocking and break the news that this could be attempted murder.”
Father’s statement:
“I was first on the scene when [Baby M] had his collapse, and that image has been forever etched in my mind.
“The stress and strain have been unbearable at times and my mental health has suffered.
“I have had to take time out of work and seek counselling. I also have had to take a course of antidepressants to help me cope with this.
“There was a day when I was at the trial and I was sat in Lucy Letby’s line of view and she kept looking at me.
“That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move so I was out of her view.”
What the judge said:
“A piece of paper towel on which details of the drug administration notes had been noted during the emergency and a blood gas printout which you had retrieved from the confidential waste were found at your home after your arrest.
“You made a note of the event in your diary.
“[Baby M] suffered irreversible brain damage as a result and, over time, he may well deviate from his peers in attainment and cognitive or motor function.”
ATTEMPTED MURDER OF BABY N
The attempted murder of Baby N – who has haemophilia – came days after he was born in June 2016.
The prosecution argued that Lucy Letby tried to cover up her attack on him by shoving a tube into his throat, which caused trauma.
Parents’ statement:
“The day we were called to the neonatal unit was the worst day of our lives. We just questioned why a healthy baby boy was fine one minute and bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next.
“We both relive this every day. We often hear about people dying of a broken heart.
“This is how we feel after this day. Not a day goes by without us thinking of that day. We are extremely protective. We wanted him to be homeschooled as we didn’t want anybody else looking after him.
“We couldn’t keep him safe in hospital. As a parent it’s your duty — this was taken away from us in a place where he was at his safest.
“It’s our duty now and if that means wrapping him in cotton wool, then that is what we will do. We don’t want her to know the damage she’s left.
“We didn’t want her to get any further satisfaction from the hurt that she’s caused.”
What the judge said:
“When his designated nurse went on a break in the early hours of the night after he was born you inflicted some painful trauma to the oropharynx area causing him to scream, bleed and profoundly desaturate.
“Fortunately, he survived but could have suffered consequences to the trauma.”
MURDER OF TRIPLET BROTHERS BABY O AND BABY P
Baby O was murdered by Lucy Letby a day after she returned from a holiday in Ibiza – and his triplet brother, Baby P, a day later.
Baby O suffered severe liver damage while his brother was found with a less severe, but still fatal injury as he was being prepared for transfer.
Letby took a photograph of them in a cot after their deaths.
Their mum said: “I hate that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold (Baby P). She’s ruined our lives.”
Father’s statement:
“He (Baby O) received a blessing from the priest and was quickly christened. Moments later, he was gone.
“I felt like I’d been stabbed in the heart. No words could describe how I was feeling. I kept wishing it had happened to me and at that time would have gladly taken his place.
“We have tried to explain to our children that there’s a lady in prison and that the police think that this lady has hurt your brothers. We did this in case they hear anything from a third party or at school.”
He added: “I was not ever prepared for the actual trial … the whole process was extremely difficult as (the children’s mother) had initially been called as a witness which meant that we couldn’t discuss the case together.
“In the courtroom everything became so real. Seeing Lucy Letby for the first time since 2016 was difficult. Hearing the evidence unfold was hard as I was discovering the latest information about the case.
“More so the texts that Letby had sent to her work colleagues and the personal Facebook searches.
“I thought that these actions were both in poor taste and unnatural, hearing this in open court sent a shiver down my spine.
“It was also difficult for our relationship during the court hearing. I found it hard to watch (the children’s mother) being so upset and to manage our other children who quite rightly were constantly inquisitive about what was going on.
“Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives. The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. It has destroyed me as a man and as a father.
“I have missed over six years of our children’s lives because of her actions.
“The continual pressure of having the trial hanging over us has been immense. Even after the trial has ended, it will continue to haunt us and will always have an impact on our lives.”
The dad added that life had been “slowly improving” until police told him of Letby’s arrest.
He said: “At first, I was gobsmacked but also relieved that there was finally some form of explanation for the deaths.
“I was always adamant there had been some form of medical negligence … and never believed that their deaths were natural causes.
“I knew that something was not right, but it never occurred to me that they’d been purposely murdered.
“I live in constant fear of something happening to any of my children and the whole experience blighted the pregnancy and birth of our youngest one.
“When it comes to socialising with friends and family, I really struggle. Even the slightest of conversations would trigger my anger. I struggled when asked, ‘how many children do you have?’.
“It is always hard to explain to (the surviving triplet) that he was a triplet and trying to answer any questions that he may have.”
Mother’s statement:
“I hate that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold (Baby P). She’s ruined our lives.”
She described being in a “state of shock” and said she was still haunted by “vivid images” from the time and lived in “constant fear” of anything happening to her kids.
Speaking about the trial, the mother, who sat behind a monitor to block her line of sight to Letby, said: “Being within the courtroom environment was extremely harrowing. That was the first time I had seen Lucy Letby since 2016.”
What the judge said:
“Although on holiday at the time, you were communicating with colleagues about the triplets and said you felt most at home in the intensive care nursery.
“The horror of the consequences of your actions and the desperate attempts to resuscitate him [Baby O] and save his life, sadly to no avail, were vividly described by clinicians and his father.
“The following day you murdered his older brother. You forced air down his naso-gastric tube into his stomach and bowel, and inflicted trauma to his liver but not damaging it as severely as you had in [Baby O]’s case. The air caused his diaphragm to splint and he collapsed.
“His life could not be saved.”
This story originally appeared on The Sun and reproduced with permission
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