Life sentence upheld: British nurse Lucy Letby's final appeal denied
This was one of the longest trials in the history of the United Kingdom. Nurse Lucy Letby was sentenced for the murders of newborns as early as August of last year. The woman made one previous attempt to avoid punishment. The court did not deliberate for long.
In August 2023, Lucy Letby heard her life sentence. This was the penalty for the murder of seven children and the attempted murder of six others at Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. Letby never admitted her guilt. Her guilt was determined by a handwritten note found in her apartment.
"I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough to care for them. I am a horrible and evil person" - Letby supposedly wrote.
In court, she did not admit to any of the charges.
Taking care of healthy children bored her
Letby worked in the hospital's neonatal unit, which housed both children in good condition and those requiring intensive care. The 33-year-old was assigned to care for children who were in better condition.
One of Letby's former colleagues testified in court that the woman was furious. She was bored with her work and secretly wished to be able to work in intensive care.
One of the first children she murdered, she deliberately overfed with milk. The murder greatly excited her, and according to investigators, this thrill was what drove her to commit further crimes. It also led the court to decide that Letby would never be eligible for parole.
The killer nurse made a final attempt
Letby made a final attempt to avoid punishment. As requested by her lawyer, she wanted to file an appeal. The court quickly ruled that she could not do so. However, the reasoning behind this decision was not provided.
Thus, Letby exhausted the possibilities of appealing the sentence. Moreover, she faces yet another trial. In June, she will stand trial in Manchester, where she will answer charges of murdering a girl referred to as Child K., whom Letby allegedly murdered in February 2016.
