Former nurse Lucy Letby is seeking permission to appeal against her convictions for the murder and attempted murder of babies in her care. A panel of three judges at the Court of Appeal in London is currently considering her case. Letby, who is 34 years old, was sentenced to 14 whole-life terms last year after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder a further six at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.
Shortly after her trial ended in August, Letby applied for leave to appeal against her convictions. She lost the first stage of the process in which a single judge reviewed her arguments as a paper exercise. She now has the right to a second stage which involves renewing her application before a panel of judges at a hearing at the Court of Appeal. In relation to the appeal, Letby is attempting to challenge her convictions on four separate grounds, including arguments that the judge at her trial refused legal applications during the ten-month case.
Separate to the appeal, Letby is scheduled to be re-tried on one charge of attempted murder, on which the jury at her trial was unable to reach a decision. The re-trial is to commence this coming June. In order to avoid prejudice, the media will not be permitted to report the full detail of the appeal hearing at this stage. Furthermore, a public inquiry into events at the Countess of Chester Hospital is planned, with the first hearings expected to take place in the autumn.
Lucy Letby’s case has brought to attention the issue of violence against children in medical settings. Her trial and conviction for the murder and attempted murder of young babies shocked the medical community and the public at large. While some view her case as an isolated incident, others see it as a warning of the dangers of unchecked medical abuse. In any case, the outcome of Letby’s appeal and re-trial will be eagerly anticipated by many across the UK and beyond
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