Lucy Letby sentencing LIVE: Killer nurse fails to show up to court as victim’s families prepare to read out heartbreaking statements about their ordeals

Follow MailOnline’s liveblog for updates as Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is sentenced at Manchester Crown Court today: 

Host commentator

A statutory inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby’s baby murders should take place, a former chief nursing officer has said.

Dame Christine Beasley told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘I think what a statutory inquiry will do is compel people to come and give evidence where in an independent inquiry people can opt out of it if they want to.

‘So I really understand parents and families wanting to make sure we get to the bottom of whatever happened there so that we can actually learn.

‘So I think I would go down on the side of a statutory inquiry would be better because whatever the outcome of the independent inquiry is, I feel that relatives and patients will not feel that they’ve got to the bottom of it.

‘And so I think on balance, it would be best to do a statutory inquiry.’

Lucy Letby did not appear in the dock at the beginning of her sentencing hearing today at Manchester Crown Court for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more. 

More than a dozen relatives of Letby’s victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing, and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing.

Mr Justice Goss began the hearing by reminding those watching of reporting restrictions in place.

Education minister Claire Coutinho also appeared on Sky News today, and said speed is ‘of the essence’ when it comes to the independent inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby’s baby murders.

Asked if it should become a statutory inquiry, she said: ‘Well, whenever something like this happens, there’s always a debate about whether it should be statutory or non-statutory. And there are different benefits to both.

‘As you say with a statutory inquiry, it means you can compel people to give evidence. With a non-statutory inquiry is often much quicker. I think, in this case, everyone wants to make sure that this will never ever happen again and I think speed is of the essence to make sure that expectant parents across the country can feel assured that they know that there are steps in place to make sure that this won’t happen again.’

On why existing legislation is not being used to bring Letby to court, Ms Coutinho said: ‘Well, I’m sure they will look at everything that they can do to make sure that that is enforced. But I think there are some changes that it sounds like are needed as well to make sure that in every instance the perpetrator has to go to court and have that moment, as I said, of justice.’

She added: ‘I’m not a justice minister, but I think one of the things that may be a challenge is if someone gets a life order, then extending custody by two years might not be enough of an incentive to make sure that people come.’

There is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that, an education minister has said.

Asked on GB News about Lucy Letby’s refusal to attend her sentencing for the murders of seven babies, Claire Coutinho said: ‘Well, look I think it’s appalling. I think she should be there.

‘And I know that the Justice Secretary has said he’s very committed to making changes that are needed to make sure that people who have committed awful crimes have to go to court so they can hear things like the victims’ impact statement, which is really their moment to tell that person how this has impacted them.’

On how it should be done, she said: ‘I’m not a justice minister but what I do know is that the Justice Secretary has talked about his commitment to it.

‘I know that there is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that so they can hear these things and my understanding is that does mean that a change in the law is needed and the Justice Secretary has said that he’s committed to looking at that.’

Timeline reveals how hospital bosses refused to believe ‘nice’ Lucy Letby was behind deaths

For months, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history was able to get away with a series of baby deaths that remained unexplained.

Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.

While the twisted child killer continued to carry out the murders, hospital bosses refused to believe the ‘nice’ 33-year-old nurse was doing anything wrong.

But the ‘tipping point’ happened when Letby, from Hereford, was on duty at a time when two of three premature triplets died within 24 hours in June 2016.

Here, MailOnline looks back at how Letby’s crimes came to light, ahead of her sentencing today when she is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars:

Senior NHS manager who ‘ignored warnings about Lucy Letby’ is suspended

A senior NHS manager believed to have ignored warnings about Lucy Letby while she was director of nursing at the baby killer’s hospital has been suspended.

Alison Kelly was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised ‘serious concerns’ about the nurse during her time as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

She is now a director of nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust located in the Manchester area.

Read the full story on MailOnline today:

Calls for baby killer nurse Lucy Letby to be dragged into court

Killer nurse Lucy Letby should be dragged into court to hear the full horrors of her crimes, the victims’ families said today.

Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday, but is refusing to come to the dock for the hearing.

Today, former justice secretary Robert Buckland said she should be forced to listen to families give their victim impact statements from her cell if she cannot be dragged into court.

Read the full story on MailOnline here:

Last Friday, jurors at Manchester Crown Court completed their deliberations of 110 hours and 26 minutes – spanning 22 days – following the Lucy Letby trial which began in October last year.

The jury of seven women and four men convicted Letby of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder in relation to six other infants.

It has been reported that a prison van believed to be carrying Lucy Letby has arrived at Manchester Crown Court.

However, this does not mean Letby will be in the dock, because she could simply refuse to leave the cells.

Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is ‘committed’ to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings.

Former justice secretary Robert Buckland called for the sentencing to be played into Letby’s cell if she does not attend, regardless of her wishes, and said she should have to listen to the victim statements from the families of the babies she murdered.

‘She needs to hear the victim’s personal statements, as impact statements that will really bring home I think, to the wider world, the appalling devastating impact of the loss of these innocent children, these innocent babies, have had upon dozens of families,’ Mr Buckland told GB News.

Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a Government source suggested ‘lawful enforcement’ could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate.

‘Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society’s condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge,’ the source told the PA news agency.

‘If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.’

Lucy Letby previously indicated she did not intend to return to the dock, did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison.

It is not known whether she will attend court today.

If she does not attend, the move will likely spark further outrage from families of her victims who want to face her when victim impact statements are delivered this morning.

Lucy Letby could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court today.

Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes.

Prisoners given a whole-life order are never considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.

Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which passed through Parliament last year, the Government has expanded the use of whole-life orders for premeditated murder of a child.

Only three women have previously been handed a whole-life order, which used to be known as a whole life tariff – Hindley, who died in 2002, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.

Lucy Letby’s sentencing will take place at Manchester Crown Court today.

The hearing will begin soon at 10am, with the morning session expected to feature victim personal statements, legal submissions on sentencing guidelines and mitigation.

Judge Mr Justice Goss intends to pass sentence from 2pm but the timings could change.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s liveblog as Lucy Letby is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced today.

The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and2016.

The most prolific child serial killer in modern British history could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court.

Stay with us throughout today for live updates.

Source: Read Full Article