In recent days, the name Lucy Letby has dominated media headlines, encapsulating a profoundly unsettling reality: a neonatal nurse sentenced to 14 life terms for the calculated murder of seven infants, coupled with the sinister attempted murder of six others. While her malevolent actions have commanded our collective attention, the mention of Beverly Allitt often evokes a disinterested response – a forgotten fragment of history. This article scrutinizes the eerie parallels between these cases & raises a disconcerting question: Why has history seemingly repeated itself?
შესავალი
It was a late Tuesday evening when I unfortunately learned of Letby’s crimes. Coming back from training the only thing on my mind was rest. However, after noticing my father was even more glued to the TV than usual, I decided to inquire myself as to what Sky News could be reporting that was so interesting. Although I wish I’d not, because the details of the crimes that Letby committed were truly appalling & saddening.
“Have you heard about this?” my Dad asked as I sat down. It was evident that he already knew about Letby and was just catching up with new information. As more and more details were relayed about her, a terrible thought crossed my mind – “Hasn’t this happened before?” – Of course, I was, and am referring to convicted killer Beverly Allitt, who committed a string of similar crimes in 1991.
However, when relaying this question to my Dad, I was met with a disinterested and confused expression. He had never heard of Allitt, and neither had my Mum when I asked her. And that might just be the problem. If this sort of harrowing crime has already happened in the past, why has it happened again? Well, with the help of an ongoing inquiry, verifiable information from public sources, witness accounts, and statements from Cheshire County Police I am going to argue that the crimes of Letby should have never happened in the first place. And I am not afraid to point the blame at who I believe to be partly responsible, regardless of what the “Independent Inquiry” finds.
Who is Beverly Allitt?
Well to understand my point and to make my argument clear, let’s go back to 1991 when another murderder just like Letby was in the making. Just as the video below mentions, this was the first of its kind in the UK. 32 years later, it’s happened again. Just like Letby, Allitt displayed no remorse, emotion or any kind of regret for her actions, just like Letby.
If you want the full rundown on this horrible monster please watch this video by Channel 5 which brilliantly details the life and crimes of Allitt in a very compact but insightful documentary.
Allit used insulin to inject the babies at an alarming rate, making them go blue and almost die from overdoses. This happened to over 10 different babies and of course, before much time had passed, two senior nurses sought out the help of detectives from Lincolnshire County Police, hastily arranging a meeting where the concerns were raised.
The issue was mainly with a baby called Paul Crampton, whose condition could not be explained by human error or natural causes. The selected Doctor agreed that a further investigation would need to be carried out with him.
This was even after the doctor who’d been ordered to examine all 12 babies concluded that 10 of the incidents were not down to malicious actions while 2 needed further investigation but still could be down to natural causes, while Cramptons was seen as suspicious.
When the Police searched Allitt’s home they found a notebook that had been taken from the Sister Ward Nurse (the Head Nurse) where she kept coded records of which babies she harmed and how she did it.
There was also an incident where during the short time after her first arrest and her trial, she was staying with a family called the Jobson family. A young man in the family was made a glass of juice by Allitt and upon arriving at the place he was travelling to he fell sick and fainted, being rushed to the hospital soon after. He was then found to contain a large amount of ინსულინის.
Allit’s crimes were detected early
The frightening thing about these two cases is that the crimes of Allit in 1991 were actually detected way sooner than that of Letby’s. It did not take the doctors long to realise something very bad was going on and that’s why they alerted the Police so early. Looking back their decision was most likely life-saving.
The hospital was criticized for their actions but it became apparent that the hospital staff were not really to blame. They acted as soon as they discovered suspicious deaths, and the Police quickly realised who was most likely responsible, arresting her promptly even with limited evidence by CPS standards.
The detectives quickly started to establish who had been on duty for which incident and realised with great suspicion that Allit had been on duty for all of them.
This harrowing fact was nearly enough for the CPS threshold and soon after Allit was arrested when it was revealed that someone who had known her may have been allegedly poisoned as well using insulin. The similarities were too similar and Allit was arrested for Murder and Attempted murder soon after.
The murders and attacks completely stopped in the hospital and this further indicated the defendant’s guilt. A Nottingham Crown Court Jury found her guilty and she received 13 life sentences for the four murders and the attempted murder of three others. This also included grievous bodily harm to another six.
As Allit was taken from სასამართლოს via a prison transit vehicle onlookers and press hurled abuse at her. Indeed such a horrifying act to the most vulnerable and defenceless members of society should be unforgivable and never happen again.
If concerns were raised about another nurse doing similar things then the hospital supervisors would take it seriously and take immediate action no? – Let’s examine Lucy’s case closely and see just who could have stopped her further crimes against babies.
Letby’s crimes
By now I think you’ll already be up to speed with her crimes, so if you want to skip; this part, please feel free and click here: Skip section.
Believe it or not, the first suspicious case occurred on 8 June 2015, 8 years before being arrested. A healthy baby boy was being cared for in Nursery 1 on the ward. The designated nurse, Letby, was taking care of him during her night shift. Unfortunately, the baby’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he passed away within 90 minutes of Letby’s shift starting.
Child A tragically passed away, and his twin sister, Child B, also experienced a sudden health crisis around 28 hours later. Tests revealed that Child B had gas-filled bowel loops, indicating the presence of air injection. These events occurred after Letby, the caregiver, had fed Child B and noticed a rash on the baby’s skin, similar to Child A’s.
The pediatric registrar was surprised and upset upon learning of the child’s sudden death the following day. There were no prior signs of problems, and the child seemed fine, as reported by the registrar. A nurse noticed Letby standing near the infant’s incubator when the baby’s condition worsened but initially did not intervene.
She took action when it became evident that the child wasn’t improving under Letby’s care. Doctors who attended to the child noted unusual blue and white mottling on the skin, a symptom they hadn’t seen before, which later appeared in other babies believed to be intentionally injected with air. The day after Child A’s death, Letby searched for the child’s parents on Facebook.
Child A’s twin sister, Child B, collapsed about 28 hours after Child A’s death and needed resuscitation. Despite spending the day with Child B, the parents were convinced to rest before her sudden deterioration. Tests later revealed gas-filled bowel loops, indicating air injection. Child B also exhibited the same unusual skin rash observed on Child A shortly before collapsing, suggesting air injection.
A few days later, Child C, a healthy boy, suddenly collapsed in the nursery just after another nurse left. Despite not being assigned to care for the child, Letby was observed standing over his monitor when it sounded the alarm upon the other nurse’s return. Her shift leader had already instructed her to focus on her designated patient, but she had to be repeatedly pulled away from the family room as Child C passed away. The parents later recalled a nurse they believed to be Letby bringing a ventilator basket and suggesting, “You’ve said your goodbyes, do you want me to put him in here?” even though their child was still alive.
On June 22, 2015, a baby girl named Child D collapsed three times in the early hours and subsequently died. Those attempting to save the child noticed unusual skin discolouration. An X-ray conducted during the post-mortem examination revealed a ‘striking’ line of gas in front of the spine, indicative of air injection into the bloodstream. A doctor later testified that such a finding could not be explained by natural causes. The mother had observed Letby “hovering around” the family shortly before the baby’s collapse.
On July 2, a doctor voiced concerns about the sudden collapses and deaths, but no action was taken against Letby. Interestingly, the suspicious cases ceased for a month. However, on August 4, 2015, a mother walked in to feed her baby boy, Child E, only to find Letby seemingly in the act of harming the child. She discovered the baby distressed and bleeding from the mouth, with Letby standing nearby appearing busy but not actually doing anything. Sadly, the boy later died, with the cause of death believed to be a fatal bleed and the injection of air. Flecks of blood were found in his vomit.
The following evening, Child E’s twin brother, Child F, was under Letby’s care in the same room. At 1:54 a.m., Child F experienced an unexpected drop in blood sugar and a surge in heart rate. Fortunately, this child survived, but a blood test later revealed an “extremely high” amount of exogenous insulin, which he had never needed.
No baby on the unit had been prescribed insulin, and it was stored in a locked fridge near a nurses’ station. During the trial, Letby did not dispute that the baby had been intentionally injected with insulin, suggesting someone else may have been responsible. Letby also searched for the parents of Child E and F on social media in the weeks and months that followed.
Letby’s Prosecution & Conviction
Arrest and charges
On July 3, 2018, Letby was arrested on suspicion of eight counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder after a year-long investigation. Her home in Chester was searched following the arrest. Subsequently, the investigation was expanded to include Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby had also worked. Her entire career, including her time at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, has been under scrutiny since her arrest.
Letby was initially bailed on July 6, 2018, while police continued their inquiries. The review of extensive document evidence found in her home, including coded diaries, took time. She was rearrested on June 10, 2019, in connection with eight murders and nine attempted murders. Another arrest occurred on November 10, 2020. In 2019, she was bailed again to gather strong evidence before pressing charges.
The investigation involved thousands of exhibits, some thousands of pages long. The 2019 arrest was prompted by the discovery of additional attempted murder cases and her extensive writings during the investigation.
On March 13, 2020, Letby was placed on interim suspension by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. On November 11, 2020, she was charged with eight counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder, denied bail, and remained in police custody. The გვირგვინის პროკურატურა approved the charges following a review of the evidence collected by Cheshire Constabulary (County Police).
Letby denied all 22 charges, attributing the deaths to hospital hygiene and staffing levels.
On August 18, 2023, Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Executive and Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, announced that Letby “remains suspended from our register, and we will now proceed with regulatory action to strike her off the register.
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Letby’s trial started on October 10, 2022, at Manchester Crown Court, with her pleading not guilty to seven murders and 15 attempted murder charges. The trial was attended by Letby’s parents and the victims’ families.
The child victims were known as Child A to Child Q, and their identities, along with those of nine colleagues providing evidence, were kept highly confidential, a level of secrecy rarely seen outside national security matters. Two years prior to the trial, Mrs Justice Steyn had prohibited the identification of living victims until they turned 18, although one parent’s profession as a physician, relevant due to medical expertise, was not deemed publicly identifiable. Several witnesses, including a doctor Letby, was infatuated with, requested anonymity, a request granted by the judge who prioritized their testimonies over public identification concerns.
The prosecutor described Letby as a “constant malevolent presence” in the neonatal unit. Witnesses either walked in during or shortly after Letby’s attacks. One mother interrupted Letby in the act, with Letby saying, “Trust me, I’m a nurse.” Another mother entered her baby’s room hearing screams and found her child with blood around his mouth while Letby was present. Despite the baby’s distress, Letby appeared to be idle, prompting the mother to return to the ward. Tragically, the baby’s condition worsened, leading to its death. No post-mortem examination was performed. Afterwards, Letby bathed the deceased baby in front of the parents.
Another mother, whose baby had died in October 2015, shared an uncomfortable experience of Letby bathing her child. Letby’s fixation on this baby and her family persisted; she sent a sympathy card on the day of the baby’s funeral, and it was discovered that she had photographed the card on her phone and retained pictures of it after her arrest.
During the investigation, police discovered that Letby sent texts after each death, including one asking how some sick babies survived while others died suddenly. On April 9, 2016, after twin boys Child L and M collapsed during her shift, she texted about winning money and a party. On June 22, 2016, the evening before her return from Ibiza, she texted she would be “back in with a bang,” and on her first shift back, Child O was killed. These texts were seen as significant, almost like live event updates.
Letby also mentioned to a colleague that taking Child A to the mortuary was “the hardest thing she ever had to do.” She searched for parents of infant victims on Facebook, even on the anniversary of a baby’s death, totalling 11 affected families. When asked about this, she couldn’t explain why.
The prosecutor alleged that Letby injected air into the bloodstream of two victims and used insulin to murder others. It was revealed during the trial that Letby had to be told more than once not to enter a room where grieving parents were present, and she mentioned, “It’s always me when it happens.”
Letby’s defence argued she was a dedicated nurse in a system that failed, suggesting the prosecution’s case relied on the assumption of deliberate harm combined with coincidences involving Letby’s presence. They disputed the cause of “extraordinary bleeding” in one victim, and Letby’s colleagues denied therapeutic insulin use, emphasizing that no baby on the unit was prescribed insulin, and it was securely stored.
In February 2016, a consultant found Letby watching over a baby who seemed to stop breathing. Despite the baby’s desaturation, Letby claimed the decline had just begun. Miraculously, this baby survived. All seven paediatrician consultants on the neonatal ward agreed something was seriously wrong, as these deaths and near-deaths defied medical explanation.
Doctors had raised concerns about Letby previously, but hospital administration dismissed them, advising them not to make a fuss. Letby made a peculiar comment an hour before one victim’s death, saying, “He’s not leaving here alive, is he?”
Between March and June 2016, three more babies nearly died under Letby’s care. Towards the end of June, Letby cared for triplets. One died, and shockingly, another triplet died less than 24 hours later, both in good health. Letby, unperturbed, simply mentioned she’d be back on shift the next day.
This wasn’t the first occurrence of twins/triplets collapsing within 24 hours under Letby’s care, as it had happened in August 2015. After one twin died that month, the other fell seriously ill. Later investigations revealed intentional insulin poisoning, missed for two years. Letby, not supposed to work night shifts, volunteered for an extra shift to care for Child L. She accepted at trial that some victims were deliberately injected with insulin.
The night after trying to harm Child F, Letby went salsa dancing.
Consultant requests
After the triplet incident, consultants requested Letby’s removal from duties, but the hospital staff refused, and another baby nearly died under her care the next day. Medical experts confirmed intentional harm in all cases. Letby was the only staff member on duty for all 25 suspicious incidents. The incidents ceased when she was removed from duty. She had falsified patient records, altering the times of collapses to avoid suspicion.
During the trial’s fourth day, a handwritten note from Letby was presented, confessing, “I am evil, I did this.” The defence argued it was an anguished outpouring due to employment issues. More notes revealed her frustration about not being allowed back to work in the neonatal unit. Letby had secretly kept medical documents at home, including 257 confidential hand-over sheets, blood gas readings, and more, seen as ‘morbid records.’ Her diary contained notes with phrases like “I’m sorry that you couldn’t have a chance at life,” which the prosecution considered confessions.
Letby testified in May 2023, breaking down and claiming she meant no harm but was made to feel incompetent. She expressed how the allegations negatively impacted her mental health, leading to isolation from her friends on the unit. However, her emotional breakdowns were noted to occur when discussing herself, not the fate of the babies. She repeatedly contradicted herself during questioning.
After a nine-month trial, the jury began deliberations on 10 July 2023. Verdicts were delivered between 8 August and 18 August, with Letby found guilty of seven counts of murdering babies through methods like injecting air, overfeeding, insulin poisoning, and medical tool assaults. She’s the most prolific serial child killer in recent UK history.
Letby was also found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder but not guilty on two counts. The jury couldn’t reach verdicts on six more attempted murder charges, leaving room for a potential retrial. On 21 August 2023, she received a life sentence with a whole life order, the harshest under English law, making her the fourth woman in UK history to get such a sentence. The judge described her actions as a cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign against vulnerable children.
Letby chose not to attend the sentencing, prompting discussions about changing the law to compel defendants to attend their sentencing. Her parents, who were present throughout the trial, also didn’t attend the sentencing. On 30 August 2023, the UK government announced plans to introduce legislation requiring convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, potentially by force. After the trial, Letby was transferred to HMP Low Newton, a closed women’s prison in დურჰამის ოლქი.
Verdicts & Sentencing
After a nine-month trial, the jury began deliberations on 10 July 2023. Verdicts were delivered between 8 August and 18 August, with Letby found guilty of seven counts of murdering babies through methods like injecting air, overfeeding, insulin poisoning, and medical tool assaults. She’s the most prolific serial child killer in recent UK history.
Letby was also found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder but not guilty on two counts. The jury couldn’t reach verdicts on six more attempted murder charges, leaving room for a potential retrial. On 21 August 2023, she received a life sentence with a whole life order, the harshest under English law, making her the fourth woman in UK history to get such a sentence. The judge described her actions as a cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign against vulnerable children.
Letby chose not to attend the sentencing, prompting discussions about changing the law to compel defendants to attend their sentencing. Her parents, who were present throughout the trial, also didn’t attend the sentencing. On 30 August 2023, the (UK) HM მთავრობა announced plans to introduce legislation requiring convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, potentially by force. After the trial, Letby was transferred to HMP Low Newton, a closed women’s prison in დურჰამის ოლქი.