How ‘beige’ Lucy Letby became UK’s most prolific killer nurse as police probe if she was behind MORE hospital attacks
LUCY Letby has today been convicted of murdering seven babies – giving her the grisly moniker of the UK’s most prolific killer nurse.
The 33-year-old racked up the horrific death toll during a year-long reign of terror at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Her conviction has cemented her as the worst killer nurse in the UK – surpassing Beverley Allitt, who murdered four children and attempted to kill three others.
Chillingly, police fear Letby could be behind more attacks in other hospitals where she worked.
Det Supt Paul Hughes confirmed Cheshire Police are looking into “some events” from Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby was on placement in 2012 and 2015.
He said: “We obviously are committed to a thorough investigation across the entire footprint that Letby has been employed at the Countess of Chester Hospital and on placements at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital and as you would expect us to do conduct a thorough investigation.
“That investigation is ongoing and the cases that have been identified so far the families have been contacted and are being supported.
“We will give an update on that particular part of the investigation when we can. The investigation needs to go on.”
The officer refused to be drawn on whether there are any more deaths but re-iterated police are “committed to investigating all of the times that Lucy Letby has been employed as a nurse and has had access to neonatal units”.
This includes reviewing cases where they believe she may have harmed or tried to harm a tot in her care.
Some parents have already come forward themselves, while police are contacting others who could be involved.
Letby was first arrested in July 2018 after staff grew suspicious over the growing number of deaths on the neonatal unit.
Det Chief Insp Nicola Evans told how the “cold, calculating and manipulative” killer described in court is different to the “beige” nurse police met.
Letby portrayed herself as a normal person with an active social life who enjoyed holidays and spending time with her family.
Pals described her as one of the “geeky girls” who was part of a self-styled group known as the “miss-match family” while at college.
She was the only child of doting furniture salesman John, 78, and accounts clerk Susan, 63, and grew up in the historical city of Hereford in Chester.
The gushing parents even put an announcement in the local paper after Letby graduated from the University of Chester in 2011.
It read: “We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad.”
In an interview in 2013 about the Countess of Chester hospital, she proudly held up a baby-grow as she discussed her work.
The nurse said: “My role involves caring for a wide range of babies requiring various levels of support.
“Some are here for a few days, others for many months and I enjoy seeing them progress and supporting their families.”
Letby also revealed she was undergoing “extra training” to enhance her “knowledge and skills within the Intensive Care area”.
The “career-driven” nurse was even described as a “champion for children”.
But the killer hid under this “cover of trust” to “gaslight” everyone around her, including her own colleagues.
She told one heartbroken mum “trust me, I’m a nurse” as she formed twisted relationships with the parents of her victims.
Even after her arrest, Letby gave off a “calm, compliant and cooperative” demeanour.
But jurors at her trial were shown a cache of evidence found at the home where she lived alone with her cats that caused this mask to slip.
Bubbling under the surface was a twisted chaos that exploded from the nurse in the form of handwritten diary entries.
One that gave away her guilt read: “I am evil I did this”.
The note added: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.
“I am a horrible person”.
Letby also screamed for help on the Post-Its and begged “Kill me” as she revealed her inner turmoil.
As the death toll rose, the notes became more frenzied.
In one, Letby scrawled: “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live like this.
“No one will ever understand or appreciate what’s like.”
In her police interview, Letby claimed she had “only ever done my best for those babies”.
She also said she only write the notes because “everything got on top” of her as she spun a web of lies.
DCI Evans said: “There isn’t anything outstanding or outrageous that we found about her as a person. That’s something that’s come across in the trial.
“She was an average nurse. She was a normal 20-something-year-old doing what she was doing in her career, with her friends, but clearly there was another side that nobody saw.
“That’s something we’ve unravelled during the investigation. During the trial I think she has been described as being calculated and callous and there’s been a lack of emotion from Letby during this whole process in relation to the babies.
“I don’t think anyone could listen to the evidence over these past 10 months and not feel some level of sadness. I don’t think she has expressed that during this trial.”
Letby has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others.
Shockingly, she has never given a motive for her horrific crimes.
Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, of Cheshire Police, said: “The only person who can answer that is Letby herself.
“Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
