Lucy Letby charged with murder of eight babies and attempted murder of a further ten

She was the face of a $5.4m hospital fundraiser, now a nurse has been charged with killing eight babies and the attempted murder of a further 10 in the UK.

The Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, United Kingdom.

A neonatal care nurse has been charged with the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of a further 10 in a case that has shocked the UK.

Lucy Letby, who worked at Britain’s Countess of Chester Hospital, 35 minutes drive south of Liverpool, was arrested this week.

The 30-year-old had been under investigation for three years following an unusually high number of deaths at the hospital’s neonatal ward in 2015 and 2016.

The alarm was raised after it was found that a number of babies had died with heart and lung failure but were unusually impossible to be revived.

Blotches were found on their arms and legs after they died but causes of death were never established.

Letby, who was described by friends as “awkward and geeky” but a “kind-hearted person” had been the face of a $5.4 million campaign to raise funds for the hospital before she came under suspicion.

A Cheshire Police statement on Thursday Australian time said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised Cheshire Police to charge a healthcare professional with murder in connection with an ongoing investigation into a number of baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Lucy Letby has been arrested. Picture: SWNS

“Lucy Letby, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, is facing eight charges of murder and 10 charges of attempted murder.

“The charges relate to the period of June 2015 to June 2016.”

Letby graduated from the University of Chester in 2011 and managed to get a job on the hospital’s neonatal ward at the hospital soon after.

She posed for photographs with baby clothes and gave an interview to her local newspaper the Chester and District Standard in 2013 as part of the hospital fundraiser.

A police officer stands outside number a house in Chester after a healthcare professional working at the Countess of Chester Hospital was arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies and attempting to kill six others, on July 3, 2018.

“I also worked on the unit as a student nurse during my three years of training. My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support,” Letby said at the time.

“Some are here for a few days, others for many months and I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families.

“I am currently undergoing extra training in order to develop and enhance my knowledge and skills within the Intensive Care area and have recently completed a placement at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.”

Police have searched the home of Lucy Letby as part of the investigation into the deaths of 17 babies at a Cheshire neonatal unit.

Police have kept the devastated parents of the babies up to date with the investigation.

Letby was first arrested in 2018 and again in 2019 but she was released.

Her home had been searched during the investigation.

Jordan Sands, in an interview with The Times newspaper when Letby was arrested in 2018, said: “She was quite awkward and geeky but seemed like a kind hearted person.”

Another friend told the newspaper that she was an amazing person.

The Countess of Chester Hospital was stripped of the right to run intensive care or care for babies born under 32 weeks following the spike of unexplained deaths.

A 2016 medical review found there were gaps in the rosters and that there was insufficient senior doctor cover.

Emma Doughty, Clinical Negligence specialist at Slater and Gordon said this week: “Our clients have been awaiting over three years to get some answers.

“While we respect the police investigation and their diligence we would very much like our clients to get justice in this case.”

[e-mail]

MORE NEWS

New Princess Diana ‘lies’ probe

Depp dumped from Fantastic Beasts after ‘wife beater’ ruling

Harry, Meghan visit Aussie grave as royal rift deepens

Originally published as Lucy Letby charged with murder of eight babies and attempted murder of a further ten