- A British nurse, Lucy Letby, has been found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies in a neonatal hospital unit
- After a 10-month trial, during which the court heard from over 240 witnesses, Letby was found guilty of seven counts of murder and the attempted murder of six other babies
- The 33-year-old deliberately injected infants with air or poisoned them with insulin between June 2015 and June 2016 while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital
- Other babies, some of whom had been born prematurely or had specific vulnerabilities, were harmed by being fed excessive amounts of milk
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Lucy Letby, a 33-year-old neonatal nurse, has been convicted of the murder of seven newborn babies and the attempted murder of six others.
Newborn unit nurse found guilty of killing babies
The verdict raised alarming questions about the hospital's response and oversight, prompting an independent inquiry.
Mirror reported Letby was found guilty of perpetrating a chilling campaign of calculated and cold-blooded killings at the Countess of Chester hospital in northwest England, where she worked.
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Her victims included five premature boys and two newborn girls. The infants were often attacked shortly after being left alone by their parents or nurses.
The trial, one of the longest-running murder trials in recent times, unfolded at the Manchester crown court.
The bereaved parents, who had lost their babies to Letby's actions, expressed mixed emotions upon hearing the verdict.
How did the nurse kill the babies?
Letby's ways of murder involved injecting air into the tiny bodies of the newborns, causing grievous injuries such as shattered diaphragms.
She also attempted to kill babies by tampering with their feeding bags, lacing them with insulin. The case has led to intense scrutiny of how Letby's crimes went undetected for so long.
Dr Stephen Brearey, a whistleblower and the first to raise concerns about Letby's connection to unusual deaths criticised the hospital executives for failing to act promptly.
He believes that earlier intervention could have saved babies' lives.
As the sentencing approaches, Letby is expected to receive a whole-life term, meaning she will spend her life in prison.
According to a report by The Guardian, Police suspect that there may be more victims, and a helpline has been set up for parents to report any concerns.
Records of over 4,00 babies being reviewed
Detectives are reviewing the records of over 4,000 infants born at the hospitals where Letby worked, investigating whether she harmed more babies during her six-year career.
The trial revealed instances where she manipulated parents during the final moments with their dying children, smiling and offering to take photographs.
One father recounted how a nurse he believed to be Letby attempted to place his still-breathing son in a basket meant for deceased babies.
The Independent also reported while Letby consistently denied the charges, the jury reached a unanimous decision after a 10-month trial.
“I only ever did my best to care for them. I’m here to help and to care, not to harm," she said.
Ambulance kills pregnant woman, unborn baby
Separately, a 21-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn baby died when the ambulance rushing her to the hospital lost control and crashed.
Details indicate that the male nurse who was accompanying the woman also died in the fatal crash, which occurred at a curve on the Hospital-Mukobeko road in Zambia.
Zambia Daily Mail reported that the accident, which happened at around 6pm, has been blamed on the driver, who is said to have been over-speeding on their way to the hospital.
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