Inside courtroom seven: The trial of Lucy Letby and the moment she was found guilty
For 10 months, the nondescript courtroom has been home to endless discussion, accusations and speculation, as lawyers sought to answer why seven young babies had suddenly collapsed and died in the place they should have been safest.
But in the moments before nurse Lucy Letby was found guilty of their murders, there was only a thick silence in courtroom seven.
For the jury of 11 – seven women and four men – the weight on their shoulders was enormous. But after deliberating for more than 100 hours, the foreman quietly and steadily delivered its rulings.
For her victims’ parents, it has been an agonising and unimaginable wait. Many have stood at the court every day during jurors’ deliberations, waiting to learn if their children – who by now would have been approaching their final years of primary school – were among those targeted by Letby.
They have sat through graphic descriptions of their babies’ final moments, as the prosecution tried to prove Letby poisoned them, pumped them with excessive gas or milk, or violently assaulted them.
One of her victims, Child C, was found with an unexplained amount of air in his gut.
As Letby was found guilty of the baby boy’s murder, his mother sobbed and was comforted by those around her. His father stayed still, staring straight ahead.
Another parent clutched a stuffed rabbit to her face as she tried to hold back tears.
Read more: Follow live reaction from court
Lucy Letby’s mugshot has now been released. Pic: Cheshire Constabulary
How the verdicts unfolded
Letby was found guilty of seven murders and the attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester hospital’s neonatal unit between June 2015 and June 2016.
She was also found not guilty of two charges of attempted murder.
Sky News is one of just five news organisations that have been given a seat inside the trial, with the rest of the world’s media required to watch from the magistrates’ court across the road via a televised link.
All of the children and their parents have been granted anonymity, although their names were read out in the courtroom during the nine-month trial.
Strict reporting restrictions were put in place, which meant the media could not publish any of the verdicts until the jury had found on all counts.
First, after 76 hours of discussions, the jury unanimously found her guilty of the attempted murders of Children F and L.
They agreed with the prosecution that Letby had poisoned their IV drip bags with insulin on separate occasions, eight months apart.
Seated in the glass-fronted dock, Letby is now a shadow of the smiling, ordinary-looking woman pictured in media reports. She was in her mid-20s when she attacked her victims. She is now 33 and spent almost three years behind bars awaiting this trial.
Her once shiny blonde hair hung long and limp around her face, which is now gaunt and angular. Flanked by guards, as the first verdicts were read out, she bowed her head and wiped away tears.
Susan Letby, the mother of Lucy Letby
Her mother, Susan, sobbed as her daughter was taken back to the custody area.
After the first two verdicts, the jury was ordered by the judge, Mr Justice Goss, to try to reach a majority decision on all other counts.
Three days later, the jury returned again and this time, quiet gasps accompanied each guilty verdict in the courtroom.
Letby was found guilty of murdering four of the infants and attempting to murder two more.
She remained emotionless, but as she stood to be taken back down to the cells her shoulders began to shake.
Susan broke down again – whispering “you can’t be serious, this can’t be right” into her husband’s arms – before howling as her only child was led out of court.
John and Susan Letby, the parents of nurse Lucy Letby, outside Manchester Crown Court
Letby refused to come up from cells
A third set of verdicts came after the jury had been discussing the case for 99 hours and 38 minutes.
But this time, the dock was empty as Letby refused to leave the cells. In her absence, she was found guilty of a further three murders and three more attempts. With this, she surpassed Beverley Allitt and became the UK’s most prolific child murderer.
She was also found not guilty of one of the attacks on Child G, a baby girl.
One mother put her head in her hands and sobbed silently as Letby was found guilty of her child’s murder. Another gasped and then cheered quietly. Their relief was visible – like 15 people had just let go of one collective breath.
This time, John and Susan Letby were silent, resigned, and leant on each other with their eyes closed.
Exclusive: Mother fears Letby attacked her baby too
Pic: Shutterstock
The final verdicts
Five hours of deliberation later, Letby was cleared of another attempted murder, again in her absence, and made it clear, via her defence barrister, she would not be returning to the courtroom under any circumstances – including for sentencing.
The following day, family members who had already received a verdict for their child returned to court, in a show of solidarity for those who had not.
But on six counts, the jury could not reach a decision.
The father of one child stormed out of the room, and several members of the jury cried, while others put their heads in their hands and looked down.
The jury was discharged from its service and sentencing was scheduled for Monday morning at 10am.
Both Letby and her parents were absent from court.
Court artist Elizabeth Cook drawing outside Manchester Crown Court
The trial
The high-profile case against Letby contrasted with the unremarkable surroundings of courtroom seven at Manchester Crown Court, where the trial sat over for almost a year.
Unlike in the movies, there was no grand wooden interior – instead a small and fairly clinical space where defence barrister Ben Myers KC and Nick Johnson KC, for the prosecution, pored over medical notes, texts, photos and other evidence to make their arguments.
For most of the trial, Letby sat in a dock in front of prison guards, watching as her former friends gave evidence against her, her WhatsApp messages were read out, her Facebook searches revealed and the details of her horrendous crimes made public.
To the right of the dock sat the public gallery which was always filled with the parents of the victims, often teary-eyed but always stoic in their dedication to find out what had happened to their children.
Read more:
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Parents of boys Letby tried to kill criticise hospital
Video shows moment of Letby arrest
![Lucy Letby Still 1 [IB1706]. Forensics shorthand](https://e3.365dm.com/23/07/768x432/2372307100192179707_6214678.jpg?20230710170721)
Letby’s parents were positioned in the gallery opposite, frequently making eye contact with their daughter as she was led from the room at the end of each day.
When she was called to give evidence in May, some seven months after the trial started, Letby sat at a small table with two guards on either side of her.
She mostly answered questions calmly but became emotional when photographs of her bedroom after a police search were shown to the court. She spoke quietly and was repeatedly told to raise her voice.
As she was cross-examined she repeatedly contradicted herself, muddling her story, and grew frustrated with the prosecution’s questions. She was accused of only crying for herself – something she denied.
![J124 [IB1210]. Forensics shorthand](https://e3.365dm.com/23/07/768x432/2372307100191848307_6214306.jpg?20230710121223)
Justice at last for families changed forever
Letby’s fate rested in the hands of 12 ordinary men and women. Partway through deliberations, one had to be discharged for “good personal reasons”, reducing the number to 11.
For 10 months they have listened closely to everything that has been said, studiously making notes, the importance of this job not lost on any of them.
During one set of verdicts, a female member of the jury put her head down and cried, while her fellow jurors looked down at their desks.
No motive has ever been established, and perhaps it will never be known why the “evil” nurse chose to target defenceless infants.
Lucy Letby
Families have been changed forever, and may never truly be able to come to terms with the loss of lives that had only just begun.
And now, Letby could likely face a record-breaking sentence.
For her victims’ families, her imprisonment may finally bring some small justice that has been eight years in the making.
Former Manchester United and Scotland footballer Denis Law has died, at the age of 84.
In a statement, his family said: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle, but finally, he is now at peace.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.
“We know how much people supported and loved him and that love was always appreciated and made the difference.”
Denis Law in 2005. Pic: PA
The Aberdeen-born footballer previously announced in August 2021 that he had been diagnosed with dementia.
A prolific striker, Law scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for Manchester United, for whom he signed for a then-British record transfer fee in 1962.
He is the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford – one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt beside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Denis Law, third from left, as a statue featuring him alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best – known as the ‘holy trinity’ – was unveiled in 2008. Pic: AP
The only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or award, in 1964, he was also part of United’s triumphant campaign in the 1968 European Cup – in which they became the first English club to ever win the competition.
In a statement, the club said: “Everyone at Manchester United is mourning the loss of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, who has passed away, aged 84.
“He will always be celebrated as one of the club’s greatest and most beloved players.
Denis Law, centre, during Manchester United’s triumphant European Cup campaign in 1968. Pic: AP
“The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”
Wayne Rooney, former United captain and the club’s all-time record goalscorer, described Law as a “legend”.
“Thoughts with all Denis’s family and friends,” he said in an online post.
Another former United captain, Gary Neville, said: “A great footballer and a great man. It’s a privilege and an honour to have spent time in your company. The King of the Stretford End.”
A tribute from the Scotland national team said Law was “a true great”.
“We will not see his likes again,” it said.
Law also played for Huddersfield Town, Manchester City, and Italian club Torino during his club career, and made 55 appearances for Scotland, scoring 30 goals for his country.
Manchester City said in a post on X: “The whole of Manchester, including everyone at City, is mourning with you. Rest in peace, Denis.”
The UK’s benchmark stock index has reached another record high.
The FTSE 100 index of most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange closed at 8,505.69, breaking the record set last May.
It had already broken its intraday high at 8532.58 on Friday afternoon, meaning it reached a high not seen before during trading hours.
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The weakened pound has boosted many of the 100 companies forming the top-flight index.
Why is this happening?
Most are not based in the UK, so a less valuable pound means their sterling-priced shares are cheaper to buy for people using other currencies, typically US dollars.
This makes the shares better value, prompting more to be bought. This greater demand has brought up the prices and the FTSE 100.
The pound has been hovering below $1.22 for much of Friday. It’s steadily fallen from being worth $1.34 in late September.
Also spurring the new record are market expectations for more interest rate cuts in 2025, something which would make borrowing cheaper and likely kickstart spending.
What is the FTSE 100?
The index is made up of many mining and international oil and gas companies, as well as household name UK banks and supermarkets.
Familiar to a UK audience are lenders such as Barclays, Natwest, HSBC and Lloyds and supermarket chains Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s.
Other well-known names include Rolls-Royce, Unilever, easyJet, BT Group and Next.
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FTSE stands for Financial Times Stock Exchange.
If a company’s share price drops significantly it can slip outside of the FTSE 100 and into the larger and more UK-based FTSE 250 index.
The inverse works for the FTSE 250 companies, the 101st to 250th most valuable firms on the London Stock Exchange. If their share price rises significantly they could move into the FTSE 100.
A good close for markets
It’s a good end of the week for markets, entirely reversing the rise in borrowing costs that plagued Chancellor Rachel Reeves for the past ten days.
Fears of long-lasting high borrowing costs drove speculation she would have to cut spending to meet self-imposed fiscal rules to balance the budget and bring down debt by 2030.
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They Treasury tries to calm market nerves late last week
Long-term government borrowing had reached a high not seen since 1998 while the benchmark 10-year cost of government borrowing, as measured by 10-year gilt yields, was at levels last seen around the 2008 financial crisis.
The gilt yield is effectively the interest rate investors demand to lend money to the UK government.
Only the pound has yet to recover the losses incurred during the market turbulence. Without that dropped price, however, the FTSE 100 record may not have happened.
Also acting to reduce sterling value is the chance of more interest rates. Currencies tend to weaken when interest rates are cut.
UK
Nazi-obsessed terrorist Callum Parslow jailed after trying to murder asylum seeker at Worcestershire hotel
A Nazi-obsessed man has been jailed for attempted murder after he stabbed an asylum seeker in a terrorist attack.
Callum Parslow was handed a life sentence and will serve a minimum of 22 years and eight months in prison after he knifed the man at a Worcestershire hotel on 2 April last year, as a “protest” against small boat crossings.
The victim, Nahom Hagos, from Eritrea, said it was a “miracle” he survived after being stabbed in the chest and hand.
Parslow, 32, has Hitler’s signature tattooed on his arm and used a £770 knife he had bought online to attack Mr Hagos when he was eating in the conservatory of the Pear Tree Inn at Hindlip.
During sentencing, the judge, Mr Justice Dove, told Parslow: “You committed a vicious and unprovoked assault on a complete stranger Nahom Hagos who suffered devastating injuries as a result of your violence.”
The judge also said Parslow, from Worcester, was “motivated by your adoption of a far-right neo-Nazi mindset which fuelled your warped, violent and racist views”, and added: “This was undoubtedly a terrorist attack.”
He was found guilty of attempted murder in October last year.
Callum Parslow. Pic: West Midlands Police/PA
Leicester Crown Court heard at the time that Mr Hagos, who used to live at the hotel, was visiting a friend and was stabbed after Parslow asked him for directions to the toilet.
CCTV from the scene showed Mr Hagos fleeing to a car park and being chased by Parslow. He was able to run back into the main reception area, where the hotel manager locked the front door.
Parslow later re-entered through another door apparently searching for further victims, the court heard.
The hotel manager and a builder used a van to take Mr Hagos to hospital in Worcester, as they felt he was losing too much blood, where he was found to have an 8cm-long wound which had not penetrated any of his vital organs.
After trying to kill Mr Hagos, Parslow ran towards a canal and was spotted with what appeared to be blood on his hands.
Officers found blood containing a DNA profile matching that of the victim on the blade of the knife abandoned by Parslow.
The knife belonging to Parslow. Pic: West Midlands Police/PA
Failed manifesto post
After the stabbing and as police closed in, Parslow tried to post a “terrorist manifesto” on X, tagging Tommy Robinson and politicians including Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman and Sir Keir Starmer.
He wrote that he “just did my duty to England” and had tried to “exterminate” Mr Hagos. However, it failed to send as he copied in too many people.
Others on his list included Laurence Fox, Lee Anderson, Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and various news organisations.
Nazi memorabilia at bedsit
During the trial last October, the court heard an axe, metal baseball bat and a second knife were found at Parslow’s bedsit in Bromyard Terrace in Worcester.
Police also discovered a swastika armband, a Nazi-era medallion and copies of Hitler’s book Mein Kampf.
Nazi memorabilia which was seized at Parslow’s bedsit in Worcester. Pics: West Midlands Police/PA
Jurors were also told Parslow had Hitler’s signature tattooed on his arm “in order to demonstrate his affiliation to the ideals of the leader of the German Nazi party”.
He also pleaded guilty to an unconnected sexual offence and two charges of sending electronic communications with intent to cause distress and anxiety at the time.
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‘The pain feels unbearable’
Mr Hagos told the court in an impact statement he continues to feel “excruciating pain” in his hand after the attack by Parslow.
Read out by the prosecution on Friday, he said: “The pain is unbearable and keeps me awake all night long.
“The pain feels like an electric shock going through my hand and I now have insomnia.”
He then said he had been “living and pursuing a happy life before the incident,” but added: “I feel lonely and don’t feel safe on the street.
“My life has been turned upside down.”
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