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After Lucy Letby was sentenced to 15 whole-life terms for murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others, an inquiry was launched to ensure lessons were learnt.

The Thirlwall Inquiry is examining three broad themes – the experiences of all victims’ parents, how the concerns of clinicians were handled, and to ensure lessons are learnt from the case of the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history.

About 133 witnesses, including parents who lost their children, hospital executives, and Letby’s former colleagues at the Countess of Chester Hospital, have provided live evidence to the inquiry since September, with a further 396 giving written statements.

The closing statements this week come days after a police investigation into corporate manslaughter was widened to include gross negligence manslaughter.

The inquiry also heard that two baby deaths remain the subject of ongoing police investigation, which Letby has been interviewed in prison over.

Inquiry chair Lady Justice Thirlwall is expected to publish her official report in the autumn, outlining the detailed findings and recommendations based on the evidence that has been heard.

This week, the Thirlwall Inquiry is hearing closing submissions from the various interested parties. Here’s what has been said during the key testimonies so far.

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From September 2024: Letby public inquiry set to begin

Why is it called the Thirwall inquiry and why are there calls for it to be suspended?

Opening the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall on 10 September last year, Lady Justice Thirlwall said the probe bears her surname so that the parents do not repeatedly see the name of the person convicted of harming their babies.

She said the babies who died or were injured would be at the “heart of the inquiry” and condemned comments at the time that questioned the validity of Letby’s convictions – which the nurse tried and failed to challenge at the Court of Appeal – and some of the evidence used at trial.

The inquiry also remains separate to a 14-member expert panel, led by retired neonatologist Dr Shoo Lee and senior Conservative MP David Davis, which in February said it had analysed medical evidence considered during Letby’s trial and claimed there was no medical evidence that the nurse murdered or attempted to murder 14 premature babies.

Letby’s lawyers have since applied for a review of her case as a “potential miscarriage of justice” by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) after two failed bids at the Court of Appeal.

On Monday, the judge said she had received a request last month from lawyers representing former executives at the Countess of Chester Hospital asking for the public inquiry to be suspended.

Lady Justice Thirlwall also said she had recently received a written request from solicitors representing Letby for her to pause the inquiry.

In the letter to the judge, which Sky News has seen, Letby’s lawyers warned Lady Justice Thirlwall that her final report would “not only be redundant but likely unreliable” if it was not put on hold until after the conclusion of the former nurse’s CCRC application.

Chair of the inquiry Lady Justice Thirlwall at Liverpool Town Hall, ahead of hearings into the murders and attempted murders of babies by nurse Lucy Letby. The inquiry will examine how the nurse was able to murder babies on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Letby is servi
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Chair of the inquiry Lady Justice Thirlwall. Pic: PA

Letby couldn’t ‘wait to get first death out of the way’

One of the nurses who started as a newly qualified nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital on the same day as Letby told the inquiry that the serial killer had told her she “can’t wait for her first death to get it out the way”.

The nurse said she thought the comment was “strange” at the time, but she put it down to Letby just making conversation.

She also recalled Letby being “animated” when telling her she had been involved with resuscitation attempts of a child on the ward in 2012.

“It was kind of like she was excited to tell me about it,” the nurse said.

‘Likely’ Letby murdered or attacked more children

Neonatal clinical lead at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Dr Stephen Brearey, told the inquiry that he thought it was “likely” Letby murdered or started to harm babies prior to June 2015.

He agreed that “on reflection” several unexpected collapses and deaths before that date now “appear suspicious”.

Dr Brearey added he did not have concerns about those incidents at the time, saying that hospital staff “thought we were going through a busy or particularly difficult patch”.

The Countess of Chester Hospital after nurse Lucy Letby, 33, has been found guilty at Manchester Crown Court of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the hospital. Letby was accused of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of another ten, between June 2015 and June 2016 while working on the neonatal unit of the hospital. Picture date: Friday August 18, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story COURTS Letby. Photo credit should read: Jacob King/PA Wire
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The Countess of Chester Hospital in 2023. Pic: PA

The inquiry was told that the dislodgement of breathing tubes, which was how Letby tried to kill Child K, generally occurs on less than 1% of shifts.

However, it happened on 40% of shifts that Letby worked when she was a trainee at Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

Newborn given potentially fatal morphine overdose

Two years before Letby carried out the murder of Child A, she and another nurse gave a potentially fatal dose of morphine to a newborn baby.

Neonatal unit ward deputy ward manager, Yvonne Griffiths, told the inquiry that the infant received 10 times the correct amount of the painkiller at the end of a night shift in July 2013.

Describing it as a “very serious error”, she said the infant could have died if colleagues had not spotted the error an hour later.

Letby was told she had to stop administering controlled drugs as a result of the error, a decision that she told management she was not happy about.

Letby offered ‘tips’ on how to get away with murder

In a WhatsApp exchange in 2017, Letby and union rep Hayley Griffiths discussed the US legal drama How To Get Away With Murder.

The discussion took place a year after the neonatal nurse was moved to clerical duties following concerns she may have been deliberately harming babies.

In a message to Letby, Ms Griffiths wrote: “I’m currently watching a programme called How To Get Away With Murder. I’m learning some good tips.”

To which Letby replied: “I could have given you some tips x.”

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From 2023: Former health secretary Steve Barclay on Letby inquiry

Ms Griffiths responded saying she needed “someone to practice on to see if [she] could get away with it”, and Letby replied: “I can think of two people you could practice on and will help you cover it up x.”

The union rep said: “I truly and deeply regret having started that conversation… this is completely unprofessional.”

No support or counselling given to parents

The parents of two triplet boys murdered by Letby told the inquiry they were given no support or counselling after the deaths of their children.

The children died on successive days in June 2016. Letby was their designated nurse and their deaths led to her being removed from the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit to a non-patient facing role.

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How the police caught Lucy Letby

The triplets’ father said: “Following the deaths of our children, we didn’t receive any support or counselling from anyone. Had we received some support, we might have been in a better position to try and act on what our instincts were telling us, which was that something had gone badly wrong.”

Senior consultant: ‘I should have been braver’

Letby’s trial in 2023 heard that senior paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram caught the serial killer “virtually red-handed” after an incident in a nursery room at the hospital in February 2016.

Addressing that incident while giving evidence at the inquiry, Dr Jayaram said he had walked into the nursery after feeling “significant discomfort” that Letby was alone with Child K.

Read more from Sky News:
Letby defence calls for miscarriage of justice investigation
Letby interviewed in prison over more baby deaths

After walking in, he said he saw “a baby clearly deteriorating” and the child’s endotracheal tube (ET) dislodged. Despite his concern over the incident, the consultant did not tell anyone at the hospital, or the police.

Explaining why he said nothing, Dr Jayaram said: “It’s the fear of not being believed. It’s the fear of ridicule. It’s the fear of accusations of bullying.

“I should have been braver and should have had more courage because it was not just an isolated thing. There was already a lot of other information.”

Pics: Rex/ITV/Shutterstock and PA
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Dr Ravi Jayaram. Pics: Rex/ITV/Shutterstock

Hospital boss: ‘I should’ve done better’

Tony Chambers, the former chief executive of the Countess of Chester Hospital, was a key witness to give evidence during the inquiry.

During his evidence, Mr Chambers offered an apology to the families who had fallen victim to Letby and said his language had been “clumsy” in telling the killer nurse the hospital had “her back”.

“I absolutely acknowledged that we hadn’t got that right. We could have done better, we should have done better. I should have done better,” he said.

When pressed on if he tried to “stall and obstruct the police being called or this being made public”, he added: “Had that been what I had done then it would be. But I think it’s an outrageous statement and I do not believe it represents my actions.”

Chair of the inquiry Lady Justice Thirlwall at Liverpool Town Hall, ahead of hearings into the murders and attempted murders of babies by nurse Lucy Letby. The inquiry will examine how the nurse was able to murder babies on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Letby is servi
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Lady Justice Thirlwall at Liverpool Town Hall. Pic: PA

Jeremy Hunt: ‘Terrible tragedy happened on my watch’

Jeremy Hunt appeared at the inquiry in January where he apologised to the victims’ families, saying he was sorry “for anything that didn’t happen that could potentially have prevented such an appalling crime”.

Mr Hunt was health secretary at the time Letby committed her crimes in 2015 and 2016.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt arrives at Liverpool Town Hall, to give evidence at the hearings into the murders and attempted murders of babies by nurse Lucy Letby. The inquiry is examining how the nurse was able to murder babies on the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit. Letby was convicted of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others, with two attempts on one child, when she worked on the neonatal unit at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Picture date: Thursday January 9, 2025. PA Photo. Letby is serving 15 whole-life orders - making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison.  See PA story INQUIRY Letby. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
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Hunt arrives at Thirlwall Inquiry. Pic: PA

The MP told the inquiry the former nurse’s crimes were “a terrible tragedy” which “happened on my watch” and “although he doesn’t bear direct personal responsibility for everything that happens in every ward in the NHS” he does have “ultimate responsibility for the NHS”.

He recommended that medical examiners should be trained to see the signs or patterns of malicious harm in the work of a healthcare professional.

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Nicholas Prosper: Teen who murdered family ‘planned on killing at least 30 schoolchildren’

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Nicholas Prosper: Teen who murdered family 'planned on killing at least 30 schoolchildren'

A 19-year-old who murdered his family and wanted to be the worst mass killer the UK has seen had 33 cartridges on him to carry out an attack on his former school, a court has heard.

Nicholas Prosper shot his mother Juliana Falcon, 48, sister Giselle, 13, and shot and stabbed his brother Kyle, 16, at their family home in Luton on 13 September last year.

But he did not plan on stopping there, according to prosecutor Timothy Cray KC, who told Luton Crown Court he had prepared the murders “for months” and wanted to kill at least 30 schoolchildren.

“His planning was cold, deliberate and without sympathy or emotion towards the actual victims or potential victims,” he said, speaking at Prosper’s sentencing.

His “main wish”, however, was to “achieve lasting notoriety as a mass killer”, Mr Cray added, specifically to “imitate and even surpass other mass killers around the world”.

“He had conducted in-depth internet research on shootings in the United States of America, Norway, Australia and New Zealand,” he said.

“He understood his plans, if realised, would bring about the greatest number of deaths in a school or other mass shooting in the United Kingdom and possibly even in the United States of America.”

Neighbour of Nicholas Prosper: 'He seemed really chill and calm to me'
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Nicholas Prosper

The investigation suggests that the defendant “acted alone”, he added, and “his plans did not arise from any political or ideological cause”.

Prosper had undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the court heard, but he showed an “extreme lack of empathy with others and an extreme lack of remorse” that can’t be explained by ASD alone.

Up until Year 11, the court heard Prosper was a “geeky” and quiet boy with a small group of friends who were into computers, but problems began in sixth form and he wouldn’t engage with mental health support.

Gruesome murders

Prosper never reached St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, which was three-quarters of a mile from his home, as police arrested him after he escaped to a wooded area.

After he left, officers broke into his family flat at about 5.50am, following a call from a neighbour.

There, the court heard, they found Prosper’s little sister underneath a dining table in the living room, “as if she had been trying to hide there”.

His mother and brother – who was stabbed more than 100 times – were both found in the hallway.

Giselle Prosper (left), Juliana Prosper (centre), Kyle Prosper (right) found dead in a flat in Luton, Leabank, on Friday 13 September 2024. Pic: family pics issued via Bedfordshire police
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Giselle Prosper (left), Juliana Prosper (centre) and Kyle Prosper. Pic: family pics issued via Bedfordshire police

He had planned to kill his family in their sleep, but when his mother realised something was wrong and challenged him, it led to “an extended violent struggle”.

After the horrific and noisy attack on his family members, Prosper knew police would be on their way and so had to leave three hours earlier than he had anticipated.

The teenager was then arrested by a passing police patrol as he walked along a residential road in Luton.

He had hidden the shotgun and cartridges nearby.

Prosper admitted their murders at a hearing last month, as well as purchasing a shotgun without a certificate, possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life and possession of a kitchen knife in a public place.

Plans long in the making

These killings were planned for more than a year, the court heard, with Prosper managing to buy a shotgun with a fake firearms certificate.

He had put together a black and yellow uniform he wanted to wear for his killing spree, and he had filmed a video of himself holding a plank of wood as a mock gun.

Nicholas Prosper has admitted killing his family
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Nicholas Prosper has admitted killing his family

Read more:
Juliana Prosper ‘will be terribly missed’

‘He didn’t seem like he had anything wrong with him’

Prosper had included his own name, a picture and his real address on his fake firearms licence, the court heard.

He had also inserted the signature of a Bedfordshire Police firearms sergeant on 30 August last year.

On the same day, Prosper messaged a private seller who had advertised a shotgun for £450, offering to pay £600 if cartridges were included, Mr Cray said.

The seller agreed to drop the gun off to him on 12 September, the day before the killings, prompting Prosper to respond in a message: “I look forward to meeting you.”

Forensic examiners found Prosper had fired seven cartridges, the first being a test shot into a teddy bear in his bedroom.

Prosper’s step-by-step plan

A couple of months later, a prison officer found the notes in Prosper’s trainer sole after searching his cell on 13 November.

He had written the planned shooting would be “one of the biggest events ever,” Mr Cray said.

Tributes were left outside Leabank, Luton, as police remained at the scene over the weekend. Pic: PA
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Tributes were left outside the home. Pic: PA

“I was right in predicting no-one would’ve called the police had I killed them in their sleep. 3 shots under 30 seconds,” he had written.

“The only known phone call to police that day was made by the b**** at the door as a result of my B**** mother waking them up and it being turned into a long struggle.

“My plan wasn’t ‘stupid’. I was f****** right. MY MOTHER IS A STUPID F****** COW.”

The notes continued: “But why so early? So I’d have time to cannibalise my family, and rape a woman at knife point before the shooting.”

He had also written a step-by-step plan, detailing he would jump two gates and shoot down a glass door while children were together for “prayer/registration”.

He would then “shout that this is a robbery and for everyone to get down”, before shooting two teachers and killing children at Early Years Foundation Stage – the youngest.

That part of the note finished with: “Go to the next classroom. Kill a couple more. Suicide.”

‘Pain will never heal’

His father, who was also dad to Giselle and Kyle, said part of his soul died when he found out what his son had done.

In a statement read out by Mr Cray, Raymond Prosper said: “The pain of our loss will never be healed. This includes my whole family, our lives will never be the same.

“When I heard the horrific news on that day, part of my soul died too. This is a lose-lose situation for us all.”

The sentencing hearing continues.

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Woman in her 20s dies after van hits three pedestrians in central London

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Woman in her 20s dies after van hits three pedestrians in central London

A woman in her 20s has died after a van struck three pedestrians in central London.

The other two pedestrians were rushed to hospital following the incident on The Strand at around 11.40am on Tuesday.

One of the pedestrians has potentially life-threatening injuries, while the other has minor injuries.

The driver of the van, a 26-year-old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and driving with a concentration of a specified controlled drug above a specified limit.

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He remains in custody. Enquiries are ongoing and a crime scene is in place.

The Met Police say the crash is not being treated as terrorism-related.

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Government unveils benefit crackdown designed to save £5bn

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Government unveils benefit crackdown designed to save £5bn

The eligibility criteria for disability benefits will be narrowed in a bid to slash £5bn from the welfare bill, Liz Kendall has announced.

Speaking in the Commons, the work and pensions secretary said the number of new people claiming personal independence payment (PIP) is “not sustainable”.

Politics Live: Reaction as welfare system reforms announced

She said the government will not freeze PIP – as reports had previously suggested – but instead make it harder to qualify for the daily living allowance component from November 2026.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is money for people who have extra care needs or mobility needs as a result of a disability.

People who claim it are awarded points depending on their ability to do certain activities, like washing and preparing food, and this influences how much they will receive.

Ms Kendall said that from November 2026, people will need to score a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element of PIP.

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Currently, the standard rate is given if people score between eight and 11 points overall, while the enhanced rate applies from 12 points.

The changes will not affect the mobility component, Ms Kendall said.

It’s not clear how many people will be impacted as a result. The Office for Budget Responsibility will set out their final assessment of the costings at the spring statement next week.

Charities and unions reacted angrily to the announcement, with the Disability Benefits Consortium urging the government to reverse the “cruel cuts”, saying it will be harder for disabled people to manage.

What other measures have been announced?

Ms Kendall also announced a review of the PIP assessment, which she said will be done “in close consultation with disabled people, the organisations that represent them and other experts”.

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Young people brace for benefit reform

There will also be a consultation on delaying access to the health top up on universal credit until someone is aged 22, with the savings to be reinvested into work support and training opportunities.

And the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which determines if a person is fit for work or not, will be scrapped in 2028 with financial support for people who are sick or disabled determined solely through the PIP assessment.

Ms Kendall said the WCA is based on a “binary can can’t work divide when we know the truth is that many people’s physical and mental health conditions fluctuate“.

“Reducing the number of assessments that people have to go through is a vital step towards de-risking work”, she added.

Other reforms announced today include:

  • Merging jobseeker’s allowance and employment and support allowance
  • Raising the standard universal credit allowance by £775 in 2029/30
  • Introducing a “right to try” initiative so people who want to attempt to get back into work won’t lose their benefits while they do

Ms Kendall said: “This is a significant reform package that is expected to save over £5 billion by 2029.”

Chancellor looking for savings

The announcement comes as Chancellor Rachel Reeves struggles to balance the books due to a poor economy and geopolitical events, with further spending cuts expected in her spring statement next week.

Rachel Reeves
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Rachel Reeves

The cost of long-term sickness and disability benefits for working-age people has risen by £20bn since the pandemic and is forecast to hit £70bn over the next five years.

Ministers have said there is also a moral case for change, with one in eight young people not in education, training or employment – prompting fears of a “wasted generation”.

Ms Kendall said that while more people are now living with a disability, the increase in those seeking disability benefits is disproportionate.

Claims amongst young people are up 150%, while claims for mental health conditions are up 190% and claims for learning difficulties are up over 400%, she said.

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Tories ‘held our country back’

Ms Kendall blamed the Tories for creating a system that is “holding our country back”.

She acknowledged that some people can never work, but said many sick and disabled people want to “with the right help and support” and they should “have the same chances and choices as everyone else”.

Reports ahead of the announcements had suggested there was unease around the cabinet table, with ministers including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said to have voiced concerns in private.

But the prime minister’s official spokesman insisted this morning that the government is united in its agreement on the need for reform.

Call to reverse ‘cruel cuts’

Charles Gillies, of the Disability Benefit Consortium, said: “These immoral and devastating benefits cuts will push more disabled people into poverty, and worsen people’s health.”

He said changes to personal independence payments will make it harder for disabled people to manage “the overwhelming additional costs of their condition, from wheelchairs to visits from carers”, calling on the government to reverse the “cruel cuts”.

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