Letby, 33, is the UK’s leading child serial killer of modern times. During her time as a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital, between June 2015 to June 2016, Letby deliberately injected air into babies and poisoned them with insulin. She also forced-fed other babies milk.
Letby refused her invitation to appear at the sentencing hearing. Justice Goss spoke to her as though she was present. He said that your actions were characterized by a malice bordering on sadism. You have no regrets. There are no mitigating circumstances .”
Letby was found innocent of two counts, but the jury could not reach a decision on six other charges. Before her arrival in the neonatal ward of Countess of Chester Hospital, less than three babies died per year.
The UK’s longest ever murder trial lasted more than 10 month. Letby’s defense team argued the alarming increase in deaths and near fatal collapses of premature infants at the hospital was the result of a system that wanted to apportion fault when it failed.