UK Serial Killer Nurse Lucy Letby Convicted of Attempted Murder of Premature Baby

MANCHESTER – Lucy Letby, a nurse previously convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, has been found guilty of the attempted murder of an extremely premature baby just two hours after birth. The verdict was delivered by a jury at a retrial in Manchester Crown Court.

The initial trial jury had been unable to reach a verdict regarding Baby K, a premature infant Letby attempted to murder at the Countess of Chester Hospital in February 2016.

The prosecution claimed Letby displaced the baby’s breathing tube and was caught “virtually red-handed” by Dr Ravi Jayaram, who testified seeing Letby standing by the incubator as the baby’s blood oxygen levels plummeted without raising the alarm.

Lucy Letby worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 (Picture: Getty Images)

Despite recovering initially, Baby K’s breathing tube was displaced twice more that night. The baby, born at 25 weeks’ gestation, was transferred to a specialist neonatal unit but died three days later. Letby’s actions were not alleged to have caused the death.

Parents of Baby K reacted emotionally to the verdict, which was reached after just three-and-a-half hours of jury deliberation. Letby showed no emotion in the dock. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 am.

Lucy Letby is currently serving 14 whole-life orders behind bars for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six others (Picture: PA)

Nicola Wyn Williams, Senior Crown Prosecutor of CPS Mersey-Cheshire’s Complex Casework Unit, stated that Letby had “continually denied” trying to kill Baby K or any other babies she was convicted of harming. She emphasized the direct evidence from Dr. Jayaram, who witnessed Letby’s inaction as Baby K was desaturated.

Dr. Nigel Scawn, medical director at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, expressed condolences to Baby K’s family and acknowledged the significant changes to hospital services since Letby’s employment. He praised the staff’s professionalism and cooperation throughout the trial.

The case underscores the hospital’s commitment to ensuring safe, high-quality care and supporting affected families.