'Killer' nurse, 32, accused of murdering seven UK hospital babies at pre-trial

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A woman accused of murdering seven babies has appeared in court for the first time.

Nurse Lucy Letby appeared at Manchester Crown Court via video link from HMP Bronzefield for a pre-trial hearing.

Speaking only to confirm her name, the 32-year-old stands accused of the crimes of murdering five boys and two girls, and the attempted murder of five boys and five girls, which took place at Countess Chester Hospital.

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It is alleged that the crimes took place between 2015 and 2016.

Ms Letby, of Arran Avenue, Herefored denied the allegations during the 80-minute hearing.

Most of what took place during the pre-trial cannot be reported, and an order from the court stops the media from reporting the identities of those who died, as well as those who survived, the alleged attacks from Ms Letby.

It is not clear how she allegedly committed the crimes, but she will return to court on October 4.

The trial is expected to last around six months, and will also take place at Manchester Crown Court.

Ms Letby had 18 charges against her originally – all of which she denied – but one of those was dropped in June after a review from the Mersey Cheshire Crown Prosecution Service deemed that the “legal test for murder is no longer satisfied”.

This decision let to Mr Justice Goss handing down a formal verdict of “not guilty” in relation to one count of murder during another pre-trial hearing at Manchester Crown Court on June 10.

The CPS, however, did clarify that the child's case would now been trailed under attempted murder instead and that the child's parents had been informed of the decision, according to nursingtimes.net.

According to reports in 2018, Letby's home was searched after an investigation was launched in May 2017 into the deaths of 17 babies and 15 non-fatal collapses at the hospital between March 2015 and July 2016.

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