Manchester – Lucy Letby, a nurse in Manchester, northwest England, has been sentenced to a rare whole-life order for the murder of seven newborn babies and the attempted murder of six others under her care. The judge, James Goss, handed down the severe punishment, which means Letby will never be released from prison.

In a case that has shocked the nation, Letby’s crimes involved killing and attempting to kill newborn babies in her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The judge described her actions as “pre-meditation, calculation and cunning” and characterized her behavior as exhibiting “malevolence bordering on sadism.” Letby consistently denied responsibility for her actions throughout the trial.

The sentencing hearing drew attention when Letby chose not to attend, prompting outrage from the families of her young victims. Her refusal to appear in court has sparked calls to close the legal loophole that allows defendants to avoid facing their victims’ families in court.

Judge Goss emphasized that Letby had shown no remorse for her actions and had violated the fundamental trust that citizens place in those who work in medical and caring professions. He stated that her crimes had caused “lifelong harm” to the families of her victims, robbing them of their cherished children and causing deep psychological trauma.

The motives behind the killings, which occurred between June 2015 and June 2016, remain unclear, making Letby one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers. The judge’s ruling marks Letby as the fourth woman in the UK to receive a whole-life order, a punishment typically reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes.

As Letby begins her life sentence, the case brings attention to the profound impact of her actions on the victims’ families and the broader implications for healthcare and professional trust.