In a shocking turn of events, former nurse Lucy Letby, who was sentenced to a whole-life term in August for the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, has announced her appeal against all of her convictions. Her legal team has lodged an application for permission to appeal with the Court of Appeal Criminal Division.
Lucy Letby’s heinous crimes sent shockwaves through the nation. She was convicted of injecting babies with air and poisoning two infants with insulin while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The 33-year-old former nurse was handed multiple whole-life terms, becoming only the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a severe sentence.
The appeal announcement coincides with a forthcoming court hearing scheduled for September 25th, where the Crown Prosecution Service will decide whether to pursue a retrial for six outstanding counts of attempted murder. The original jury in Letby’s trial was unable to reach verdicts on these counts.
During the trial, Letby refused to appear in the dock for her sentencing hearing on August 21st. The presiding judge, Mr. Justice Goss, proceeded without her and issued a scathing condemnation of her actions. He remarked that the “cruelty and calculation” of her actions between June 2015 and June 2016 were “truly horrific” and showed a “malevolence bordering on sadism.”
Justice Goss emphasised that Letby had acted in stark contrast to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies, violating the trust that society places in medical professionals. He noted her lack of remorse and any mitigating factors in her conduct.
The grieving parents of the victims have expressed their anguish and horror at Letby’s actions. The mother of one of the babies killed by Letby described her as “someone so evil exists.”
The revelation of Letby’s appeal has reignited public interest in this disturbing case, which has deeply impacted the community and prompted a candlelit vigil at Chester Cathedral to remember the victims.
