Former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby,33, who was previously sentenced to a whole life order for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016, will face a retrial on one outstanding charge of attempting to murder a baby girl known as Baby K. The jury at Manchester Crown Court was unable to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder during her previous trial. A provisional trial date of 10 June 2024 at the same court has been set for this retrial.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has announced its intention to seek a retrial specifically for the charge related to the attempted murder of Baby K in February 2016. The prosecution is not pursuing retrials for the other five outstanding allegations involving two baby girls and two baby boys. The retrial, estimated to last up to three weeks, will focus solely on the charge involving Baby K.
Lucy Letby’s barrister informed the court that she maintains her innocence regarding all charges. Letby had also lodged an appeal against her convictions at the Court of Appeal earlier in the month.
Jonathan Storer, the chief crown prosecutor, emphasized that the decision to seek retrials in such cases is “extremely complex and difficult.” Various factors, including the evidence presented during the original trial and its impact on the legal test for prosecution, were taken into account. The CPS consulted with affected families, law enforcement, and prosecution counsel before reaching this decision.
Storer noted that the CPS had met with the families affected by these decisions to explain the reasoning behind their choices.
The retrial is expected to shed further light on this high-profile case, as Lucy Letby continues to contest the allegations against her.
-BBC-
