Former nurse in U.K. denied bid to appeal child murder convictions

Simon Druker
·2 min read
A former nurse in Britain has been denied an attempt to appeal her murder and attempted convictions related to the deaths of several babies in 2015 and 2016 (London Court of Appeal pictured). Photo courtesy of British Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
A former nurse in Britain has been denied an attempt to appeal her murder and attempted convictions related to the deaths of several babies in 2015 and 2016 (London Court of Appeal pictured). Photo courtesy of British Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

May 24 (UPI) -- A former nurse in Britain has been denied an attempt to appeal her murder and attempted murder convictions related to the deaths of several babies in 2015 and 2016.

A three-judge panel on the London Court of Appeal on Friday denied a request by lawyers for Lucy Letby who were seeking to appeal her convictions.

Letby, a former neonatal nurse was convicted last August of killing seven infants under her care in the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked, in the city of Chester in northwest Britain.

She was also charged with the attempted murder of six more infants and convicted on five counts. Letby faces a retrial in one of the cases after a jury could not reach a verdict.

The judge at the time said Letby carried out the crimes with "premeditation, calculation and cunning" in handing down a life sentence with no chance of parole.

A three-judge panel on the London Court of Appeal on Friday denied a request by lawyers for Lucy Letby who were seeking to appeal her convictions after being found guilty last August of killing seven infants under her care in the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked. File Photo courtesy of Cheshire Police
A three-judge panel on the London Court of Appeal on Friday denied a request by lawyers for Lucy Letby who were seeking to appeal her convictions after being found guilty last August of killing seven infants under her care in the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked. File Photo courtesy of Cheshire Police

After a brief hearing Friday, the three judges unanimously denied the petition to hear Letby's appeal.

Letby's legal team cited four points in its grounds for appeal, which remain under a publication ban.

The judges' full written explanation for denying the bid to appeal had not been made public as of Friday afternoon.

The ruling marks the end of the appeal process for the 34-year-old who did not attend her original sentencing hearings, sparking British authorities to propose a new law that would compel offenders to apear for such proceedings.

Last October, police launched a corporate manslaughter investigation into the hospital that employed Letby.

The names of the victims and their families also cannot be reported.