Chester hospital murder charges: not-guilty verdict on one count

Neonatal unit nurse Lucy Letby remains accused of murdering seven babies and the attempted murders of ten more while working at Countess of Chester Hospital

A children’s nurse accused of murdering eight babies has had a not-guilty verdict recorded for one of the charges.

Lucy Letby was charged with the murder of five boys and three girls and the attempted murder of ten other infants between June 2015 and June 2016. But at a pre-trial hearing at Manchester Crown Court on 10 June Mr Justice Goss formally directed a verdict of not guilty on one of the counts of murder after it was argued the prosecution had offered no evidence on that charge.

Children’s nurse denies all charges of murder and attempted murder

Ms Letby appeared by video link from prison for the pre-trial hearing. She entered not-guilty pleas for all the remaining counts at an earlier hearing.

Ms Letby is alleged to have killed the infants while practising as a nurse at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester.

She was first arrested in 2018 and charged in November 2020. Ms Letby, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, was remanded back into custody to appear at a further pre-trial hearing on 29 July.

Her trial is due to start on 4 October at Manchester Crown Court and expected to last up to six months.

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