Lucy Letby, a nurse accused of killing eight babies and attempted to kill 10 more, has been reported to have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to various news reports from the United Kingdom, Lucy Letby, 31, is alleged to have gone on a year-long killing spree while working on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, Chester.
She is accused of murdering five baby boys and three baby girls between June 2015 and June 2016. She is also said to have attempted to murder five baby boys and five baby girls during the same period.
Lcuy Letby answered ‘not guilty’ to all 18 charges, which took four minutes to read out, as she appeared at Manchester Crown Court by video link from HMP Peterborough where she is on remand.
A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of surviving and deceased children allegedly attacked by Letby, and prohibits identifying the parents or witnesses connected with the children.
Wearing a dark blue top and her hair in a ponytail, Letby, from Hereford, sat listening during the 30-minute hearing, which dealt largely with administrative matters, after entering her pleas.
Mr Justice Goss remanded her in custody and set a date of October 4, 2022 for the trial, which is estimated to last up to six months at Manchester Crown Court.
A further pre-trial hearing will be held next January ahead of the trial.
Who is Lucy Letby?
Lucy Letby, of Hereford, was a children’s neonatal nurse in The Counter of Chester Hospital.
In 2011 she graduated with a nursing degree from Chester University.
Following her graduation, she worked at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
In 2018 Letby was arrested on suspicion of murdering eight babies while working at the Chester Hospital.
She was rearrested in connection with the attempted murder of three additional babies in June 2019.
In November 2020, Letby was rearrested again and charged with eight counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
She appeared at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on November 12, 2020, to face all charges which relate to the year from June 2015 to June 2016.
In May 2021, the date was set for her trial, at a case management hearing at Liverpool Crown Court.
Letby appeared by videolink from HMP Peterborough and spoke only to confirm she could hear proceedings from Liverpool during the hearing.