Pre-trial hearing: nurse on murder charges appears in court

Children’s nurse Lucy Letby appeared via video link from prison at Manchester Crown Court today charged with the murder of seven babies

A children’s nurse accused of murdering seven babies has appeared in court for a pre-trial hearing.

Lucy Letby is charged with the murder of five boys and two girls and the attempted murder of ten other infants between June 2015 and June 2016.

She appeared via video link from prison for a pre-trial hearing at Manchester Crown Court today. The hearing dealt with matters ahead of her trial, which cannot be reported.

Trial due to start in October

Ms Letby, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, 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. She had previously faced eight counts of murder, but had a not guilty verdict recorded for one of the charges at a pre-trial hearing in June after it was argued the prosecution had no evidence for the charge.

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

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