Lucy Letby saved the life of a baby who was a patient on her neonatal ward – less than a year before the nurse began murdering other children at the Countess of Chester Hospital, a father has revealed
Alexander Leese says the thought of the jailed serial killer touching his baby daughter makes him feel sick – and said he was relieved the child did not have to be cared for overnight by the 33-year-old.
Mr Leese, from Newcastle, said his baby was held and cared for by Letby in September 2014 – nine months before she killed her first victim.
He only recognised her when he saw a photograph of her with her hair pulled back and wearing an NHS uniform.
Mr Leese, 34, explained: “I felt sick. It was then that I realised that she was the nurse who came in and saved my daughter’s life.”
His partner had been in labour for five days, and when nurses realised their new baby was not breathing, three nurses arrived quickly to resuscitate her – including Letby.
He told The Sun: “Letby grabbed my baby from the other nurse and took her to the corner to revive her.
“I could not see what she was doing but she was trying to bring her back to life. It felt like forever but we eventually heard a cry and there was a massive sigh of relief.
“Letby turned round and carried her to me with a huge smile on her face which I will never forget. She said to us ‘She has such beautiful eyelashes’.
“Looking back, it’s quite hard to think about how the nurse who saved my daughter would go on to kill so many babies.”
Mr Leese admitted: “It’s horrible to think that she held her, if only for a small amount of time.
“It gives me an eerie feeling to think about it now.”
Because it had been a difficult birth, there were discussions about whether the family should stay in hospital for a few nights – but eventually another nurse had said their chid was well enough to go home.
Mr Leese said: “Looking back on it now, I am very glad that we got out of that hospital when we did.
“I am certainly relieved that our daughter did not stay on her own overnight with Letby.”
Letby was on Monday jailed for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more.
Judge, Mr Justice James Goss, who described her actions as “cruel and calculating” and indicative of “a malevolence bordering on sadism”, handed her 14 whole life terms, warning her she would die in prison.
He added: “During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing.
“You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors.”
Letby’s refusal to be present in the dock for her sentencing was also condemned by the parents of her victims, with one saying in her victim impact statement: “Our world was shattered when we encountered evil disguised as a caring nurse.
“We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough, and stays in her cell – just one final act of wickedness from a coward.”
