Lucy Letby: Parents of baby killer’s victims reveal their heartbreak in court
The mother of a baby murdered by Lucy Letby said her experience in hospital was “like something out of a horror story” as the parents of newborns attacked by the killer nurse revealed their heartbreak in court.
The mother of premature baby Child D said the funeral was held the day before her due date, and the newborn’s organs could not be donated because a post-mortem had to be performed.
Another woman whose two children E and F were attacked by Letby said they were born after painful rounds of IVF. “No children in the world were more wanted than them,” she added.
Letby is due to be sentenced later after she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
‘Sadistic’ Letby refusing to leave cells – follow live sentencing updates
‘His murderer was watching us’
The mother of a baby referred to as Child C to protect his identity blamed herself for his death, saying she thought to herself: “What if I had not gone to bed that night? Maybe he would still be here.”
She told the court: “The trauma of that night will live with us all until the day we die. Knowing now his murderer was watching us… was like something out of a horror story.”
The mother of Child C also said she would open her son’s memory box in the days after his death, wearing his footprints around her neck to feel close to him.
But she added that after Letby’s arrest the mementoes felt “tainted”.
However she is now able to wear the mementoes again for the first time in five years, telling the court: “I know they represent the love I have for my son and I will not allow evil to take that. They represent justice and the truth.”
‘We hope you spend every day suffering’
A twin boy and girl, Child A and Child B respectively, were targeted by Letby in 2015.
The boy died while his sister survived.
The mother of the babies told the court: “What should have been the happiest time of our lives became our worst nightmare.”
She added that after her son died the family made sure there was always somebody by their daughter’s side.
“We are so thankful that we had that fear for Child B as it saved her life,” the mother added.
In a message directed at Letby, who has refused to attend her sentencing, the mother continued: “Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us reason to live.”
She says there will always be a “gaping hole” where their son should be.
“We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.”
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Moment of Lucy Letby’s arrest
Mother’s heart ‘shattered into a thousand pieces’
The mother of premature baby girl Child D was emotional as she said Letby’s “wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is truly a scandal”.
“Lucy Letby, you failed God and the plans we had for (Child D).”
She added that her heart “shattered into a thousand pieces” when her daughter died.
She says she questioned if she had done something wrong, missed something or “failed her daughter”.
The mother then described how she has struggled with “grief and depression” during her fight for justice.
“My marriage is also scarred by all the hurdles we went through. At first, we were each other’s rocks… it has been hard to keep strong together.”
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How the police caught Lucy Letby
‘Significant harm and cruelty’
The mother of boys children E and F had the twins after several rounds of IVF.
Child E died while his brother survived.
“Lucy was aware of our journey and deliberately caused significant harm and cruelty to our boys,” she said with emotion thick in her voice.
“No children in the world were more wanted than them.”
Their son now has complex learning difficulties, which they believe is a direct result of his being poisoned with insulin.
“Nothing can change what has happened to us, we are living with a life sentence because of Lucy’s crimes.”
The mother also called Letby’s decision not to appear in court for her sentencing “one final act of wickedness from a coward”.
“Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is.”
She finished by calling Letby “nothing” before returning to sit with the other families.
Mother of triplets feels unable to speak in court
Children O and P were two triplet babies murdered by Letby.
The baby killer even took a photograph of them in a cot after their deaths.
Their mother provided a pre-recorded message to the court because she felt unable to enter the witness box.
She said Letby was unconsolable after the deaths of the babies.
“I only have one photograph of me holding all three boys together,” she says.
“It was Lucy Letby that dressed Child P after his passing and took his footprints which were stored in a memory box.”
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Letby ‘meets whole-life sentence threshold’
Baby left disabled after attack
Letby attempted to murder six babies during her time on the hospital’s neonatal unit – targeting Child G twice.
The baby girl was the result of IVF, which had cost the family great expense abroad.
Child G was left disabled after the attacks.
Her mother now finds it difficult to trust people who work in hospitals, but the parents need nurses to visit them every week to help support them and their child.
Child G’s father told the court: “Everything feels like a constant battle just to have the essential things that Child G needs during her daily life.”
He says his daughter will “never have a sleepover with a best friend, or go to high school and graduate. She will never have a first kiss, a boyfriend, or get married”.
“She will always be in her chair,” he added.
Mother now wants baby to home-schooled
The mother of Child N, who Letby tried to murder in June 2016, says she knew her son had been “deliberately harmed”.
“I just kept questioning why our healthy baby boy was fine one minute and then bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next.”
She added that she wants her child to be home-schooled because her belief in people in positions of trust has been broken.
A man has been found guilty of assaulting two female police officers at Manchester Airport last year.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz punched PC Lydia Ward in the face, knocking her down and breaking her nose.
The 20-year-old was also convicted of assaulting PC Ellie Cook and the earlier assault of a member of the public at an airport Starbucks.
Prosecutors said Amaaz threw 10 punches. Pic: CPS
The jury was unable to decide whether Amaaz and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, also assaulted a male officer.
The incident happened at a car park pay area on 23 July 2024 after the brothers went to collect their mother from a flight.
Police were called after Amaaz went into Starbucks and headbutted Abdulkareem Ismaeil – who he claimed racially abused his mother on the plane.
The brothers resisted when officers tried to detain them and told the court they didn’t know they were being approached by police.
Prosecutors said Amaaz threw 10 punches, two elbow strikes and a kick, while Amaad aimed six blows at firearms officer PC Zachary Marsden.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz. Pic: Greater Manchester Police
Amaaz told the trial he feared the “lunatic” male officer would “batter him to death” and Amaad said he believed he was under attack.
Footage of a kick and stamp by PC Marsden on Amaaz was widely shared on social media in the days after the incident.
The brothers – from Rochdale – denied all the charges and said they acted in self defence.
Their lawyers said police had used “unlawful force”, grabbing Amaaz from behind without identifying themselves.
But jurors at Liverpool Crown Court disagreed and found Amaaz guilty of actual bodily harm to PC Ward, as well assaulting PC Cook and Mr Ismaeil.
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Amaaz (left) and Amaad (right) with their lawyer at a previous hearing. Pic: PA
Prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said the intention is to retry both defendants on the charge they assaulted PC Marsden.
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Stephen Watson, said he was pleased that Amaaz’s “appalling conduct” had been exposed.
Sir Stephen said 44 of his officers are assaulted every week.
“Our officers are decent people who routinely place themselves in harm’s way to protect the public. They deserve our respect and support,” he said.
UK
Ozzy Osbourne is given final tour of Birmingham – with thousands of fans flooding streets to pay their respects
Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final tour of Birmingham – with his family experiencing the love of thousands of fans who turned out to see the heavy metal star come home.
“We love you, Ozzy!” came the shouts from the crowd as his cortege stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city, a site that has become a shrine to the performer since his death at 76 last week.
His family and loved ones, including his wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Jack, Kelly and Aimee, spent several minutes taking in all the flowers, messages and other tributes left in an outpouring of love from fans.
Jack, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne laid flowers. Pic: PA
Sharon was in tears as she took it all in. Supported by her children, she gave a peace sign to the crowd before returning to the procession vehicles.
Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper, tied with a purple ribbon – the traditional Black Sabbath colours. The flowers bearing his name in the hearse were also purple.
Before reaching the city centre, the cortege had travelled past Ozzy’s childhood home in Aston. Just a few weeks ago, he was on stage at Villa Park performing his final gig alongside many of the musicians his music had inspired, from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Yungblud.
Heavy metal, reality TV and biting bats: Ozzy Osbourne obituary
Tributes to Ozzy can be seen all over Birmingham. Pic: Reuters
On a hugely emotional day, his presence could be felt throughout the city, with the star’s music playing in pubs and posters paying tribute: “Birmingham will always love you.”
For fans, this was a chance to say not just goodbye, but also thank you to a star who never forgot where he came from. His remarkable achievements from humble beginnings and continued love for his hometown, even when he lived thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, meant that for many, the loss feels incredibly personal.
The Black Sabbath Bridge has become a shrine in recent days. Pic: Reuters
‘The Prince of Laughter – not Darkness’
Graham Wright, a roadie who worked with Black Sabbath in the 1970s and beyond, up to the Back To The Beginning reunion gig at Villa Park, told Sky News he would remember Ozzy not by his traditional nickname, the Prince of Darkness – but as the Prince of Laughter instead.
“It was a shock he left us so soon after [the show],” he said. “The show was tough for him but he was determined to say goodbye to his fans, that was the main thing. It was important for all four of [Black Sabbath] to get back together and do a farewell.
“The tears will be flowing today to see the Ozz man – the Prince of Laughter, not Darkness. He really was. We’ll all miss him.”
Pic: Reuters
‘My mum used to say he was a lovely boy’
Chris Mason, general manager of The Brasshouse pub, which is next to Black Sabbath Bridge, said music by the band and Ozzy’s solo material had been played pretty much “on loop” since his death.
“I’m a metal fan and Ozzy being the godfather of the scene – if not for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, we wouldn’t have heavy metal,” he said. “This is what Birmingham is about, bringing people together, and Ozzy and Black Sabbath did that.
“He was Mr Birmingham and his family have brought him back.”
Mohabbat Ali, who used to live on the same street as Ozzy’s childhood home, said the property had become one of the focal points for tributes in the city.
Describing what it was like living near him, he said: “He played guitars, very loud at night sometimes, but my mum used to say he was a lovely boy.”
From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal
The sea of black was always a given – but this wasn’t about respecting funeral traditions. Ozzy himself had previously said he wanted his send-off, when it came, to be a celebration and not a “mope-fest”.
This was his final tour in the city that meant so much to him.
For fans, he meant so much to them.
For his family, the emotion was raw.
Sharon, his soulmate, has spent her life and career organising his shows, and it was clear how hard this day was for her.
After they left, fans flooded the streets to lay flowers.
Not since David Bowie has an artist’s death prompted such an outpouring of emotion. From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal – one of the most notorious figures in rock, but a man who remained as Brummie as can be.
‘A true legend who never forgot his roots’
Birmingham’s lord mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, also attended the procession and spoke of the city’s pride in Ozzy.
“What a great honour for us to have him here one last time,” he said. “The love for Ozzy – well, you can feel it in the air.”
The star put both Aston and Birmingham on the map, he said, and always took the time to get to know people.
Mr Iqbal said Ozzy sent him a letter after reading on the mayor’s website biography how he had struggled with dyslexia at school – something the star identified with.
“I’ve got the letter in a frame and it’s in my office… he was just a natural human being, down to earth. You wouldn’t have known he was a rock star – but he was a true legend, who never forgot his roots.”
UK
Second-largest population increase in England and Wales in over 75 years – mainly fuelled by migration
The population of England and Wales has grown by more than 700,000 in the year to June 2024 – the second-largest increase in over 75 years.
The change was largely fuelled by international migration, with natural change – the difference between births and deaths – accounting for only a small proportion.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were an estimated 61.8 million people in England and Wales in mid-2024, up from 61.1 million the year before.
It is the second-largest numerical jump since at least 1949, when comparable data began.
And it is behind only the rise of 821,210 that took place in the preceding 12 months from mid-2022 to mid-2023.
Nigel Henretty of the ONS said the population of the two countries has increased each year since mid-1982, but said the rate of population increases has been higher in recent years.
“Net international migration continues to be the main driver of this growth, continuing the long-term trend seen since the turn of the century,” he said.
Net international migration – the difference between people moving to the country and leaving – accounted for 690,147 of the estimated population increase of 706,881 people, or 98% of the total.
There were slightly more births than deaths in the most recent year, which added 29,982 to the population.
There was also a net decrease in internal migration – the number of people moving from England and Wales to elsewhere in the UK.
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