Lucy Letby: Court date set in April for nurse to appeal against her convictions

TW: Mentions of child abuse, murder

Discover our latest podcast

The story of Lucy Letby shocked the country last year when news broke of her unthinkable cruelty towards babies. The 34-year-old worked as a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit. In her time there, between June 2015 and June 2016, she deliberately harmed infants in various ways.

In August 2023, she was sentenced to 14 whole life orders after she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another six.

Letby refused to appear in court, and the babies’ parents called her not only ‘evil’ but also a ‘coward’ for not facing what she had done. The jury at Manchester Crown court was unable to reach a verdict on a further six counts of attempted murder, and Letby will face a retrial at the same court in June for the attempted murder of a baby girl known as Child K.

Before that, however, Letby is set to appeal all her convictions. Here’s everything you need to know about this gruesome case and how people have reacted to the news of her request.

Letby to appeal

Letby already asked for permission to challenge the ruling in her case but she was refused by a single judge without a hearing in January 2024. She is now set to try again.

Her renewed appeal bid will be heard by a panel of three judges, and is scheduled provisionally for 25 April.

If the judges decide to decline her request once again, that will put an end to the appeal process. If they agree, an appeal will then be listed by the court.

Reactions to Letby’s behaviour

Justice Goss, the judge who oversaw Letby’s case last year, said in remarks that would then be printed and given to the child serial killer:

You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions.

However, some deemed her legal process unfair and a fundraiser was even launched in her name. The site, Science on Trial, states:

We are currently focused on campaigning for a new trial for Lucy Letby through our dedication to the responsible use of scientific evidence in the criminal justice system.

Meanwhile, people on X are outraged by the news of Letby’s renewed appeal. One user, @William90077637, responded: