Inquests into deaths of five babies murdered by Lucy Letby to open
Inquests into the deaths of five babies who Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering are set to open today.
HM senior coroner for Cheshire Jacqueline Devonish will formally open inquests on Wednesday into the deaths of Baby C, Baby E, Baby I, Baby O and Baby P.
The infants died at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 when Lucy Letby was employed as a nurse in the neo-natal unit.
In each of the five cases, the coroner is expected to open, adjourn and then suspend the hearings at Cheshire coroner’s court in Warrington until later this year.
Provisional dates for full inquests – if it reaches that stage – have been set for between September 14 and 25, pending the outcome of the Thirlwall public inquiry.
Lady Justice Thirlwall’s inquiry report into how the nurse was able to commit her crimes is due to be published after Easter.
Ms Devonish has granted interested party status to Letby, who is represented by her barrister, Mark McDonald.
Letby, 36, from Hereford, is serving 15 whole-life orders at HMP Bronzefield after she was convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, with two attempts on one of her victims, between June 2015 and June 2016.
An inquest into the death of Baby A was held in October 2016 in which a narrative conclusion was recorded which stated it could not be determined what caused the youngster’s collapse and subsequent death or whether it was due to a natural or unnatural event.
Letby was removed from clinical duties in July 2016 after consultant paediatricians raised concerns that she may be deliberately harming babies, but those fears were not mentioned at Baby A’s inquest.
Cheshire Constabulary was not called in by hospital bosses until May 2017 to investigate an increase in baby deaths.
The family of Baby A do not want the inquest reopened.
An inquest into the death of Baby D was opened in January 2016 but the coronial investigation was later suspended as criminal proceedings got under way.
Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced it would not bring further charges against Letby.
Cheshire Constabulary had submitted files of evidence to consider alleged offences of murder and attempted murder related to two infants who died and seven who survived.
However, CPS chiefs concluded the evidential test was not met in any of the cases.
Letby was twice denied permission to appeal against her convictions in 2024.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence presented on her behalf from an international panel of medics who claim poor medical care and natural causes were the reasons for the babies collapsing.
