Lucy Letby interviewed behind bars about more baby deaths at hospitals

Lucy Letby has been quizzed in prison as part of an investigation into more baby deaths at two hospitals.

Detectives interviewed the former neonatal nurse under caution over unexpected deaths and collapses of babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

Letby, 34, is already serving a rare whole-life sentence for murdering seven babies and trying to kill seven more while working as a neo-natal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

It is thought to be the first time she has been asked questions by police about cases at the hospital in Liverpool, where she worked 30 shifts over the course of two placements between 2012 and 2015.

Cheshire Police said in a statement: ‘We can confirm that, following agreement, Lucy Letby has recently been interviewed in prison under caution in relation to the ongoing investigation into baby deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.’

The force added that ‘further updates will follow at the appropriate time’.

Letby is currently imprisoned at HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford, Surrey, which caters for category A women prisoners. 

Detectives are reviewing the care of 4,000 babies admitted to the two hospitals while she was there.

Cheshire Police previously emphasised that only those cases highlighted as medically concerning would be investigated further.

Last month Dr Stephen Brearey, the senior paediatrician on the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, told the public inquiry looking into her crimes he believes it is ‘likely’ she murdered or assaulted children there before June 2015.

Giving evidence to the Thirlwall Inquiry, he said: ‘On reflection I think it’s likely that Letby didn’t start becoming a killer in June 2015, or didn’t start harming babies in June 2015.

‘I think it’s likely that her actions prior to then over a period of time changed what we perceived to be abnormal.’

Asked whether, on reflection, a number of unexpected collapses or death now appear suspicious, Dr Brearey replied: ‘Yes.’

The inquiry has previously heard that dislodgement of breathing tubes happened on 40% of shifts that Letby worked when she was a trainee at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, compared with a general occurrence of less than 1% of shifts.

A BBC Panorama investigation in October revealed potentially life-threatening incidents occurred on nearly a third of the shifts Letby worked in Liverpool.

One case from November 2022 involved a baby boy who collapsed while under Letby’s care. Water was later found in his breathing tube, which experts say is highly unusual.

Mark McDonald, the human rights barrister representing Letby, confirmed she attended voluntarily and was not arrested.

He said: ‘The police have been briefing about further enquiries for over a year.

‘Any allegations need to be taken seriously, so we are only surprised by the timing of this new leak from the police.

‘Lucy voluntarily attended an interview – she was not arrested. Lucy continues to maintain her innocence, and as she has said throughout – she has never and would never harm any child.’

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