Nurse Victorino Chua jailed for at least 35 years

Nurse Victorino Chua has been sentenced to at least 35 years in jail for murdering two patients by injecting insulin into saline drips and ampoules at Stepping Hill Hospital in June and July 2011.

Chua was convicted at Manchester Crown Court following a three-month trial. Mr Justice Openshaw said: 'What he did was truly inexplicable and irrational.' He said that a 'striking, sinister, and truly wicked feature of the case' was that Chua did not know who would fall victim to his actions.

'He did not personally administer contaminated products directly to most of these patients, but having left saline bags contaminated with insulin, he did not know which nurse would unwittingly collect them and still less which nurse would then unwittingly administer the poison.'

One patient was Tracey Arden, 44, who had multiple sclerosis and was admitted for a mild chest infection but died eight hours later after her saline ampoule was contaminated with insulin. Alfred Weaver, 83, was also admitted with a chest infection but died ten days after his saline drip was contaminated.

Chua's defence team told the jury that none of the nurse's fingerprints had been found on any of the contaminated ampoules or saline bags. But Chua was the only nurse on duty at all the relevant times.