Lucy Letby was not in the dock this morning with the judge poised to hand down a life sentence to the registered nurse, on Friday convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more at Manchester Crown Court.
All of her victims were patients in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, where she started working in 2011 and all died between 2015-2016.
The 33-year-old, originally from Hereford, joins the list of Britain’s most notorious child killers, including Moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley and paediatric nurse Beverley Allitt, the so-called Angel of Death.
Prior to the hearing, there were widespread suggestions that Letby would refuse to appear in the dock for her sentencing.
Judge Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a Government source suggested “lawful enforcement” could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
An insider said: “Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society’s condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge.
“If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.”
