Families ‘disappointed’ over Lucy Letby retrial decision as lawyer calls for answers

Lucy Letby appeared at today’s hearing via a video link from HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorks

Lucy Letby will face a retrial on an outstanding allegation she attempted to murder a baby girl (

Image: Countess of Chester Hospital)

Child killer Lucy Letby will face a retrial for the attempted murder of a newborn baby girl.

But a lawyer representing families of her alleged victims said she was “disappointed” the ex nurse is not facing a jury on five other charges.

Letby, 33, is serving a whole life sentence for murdering seven infants and trying to kill six more on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The jury in her trial was unable to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five children, three baby girls, known as Child H, Child J and Child K, and two boys, Child N and Child Q.

Today at Manchester crown court, Nick Johnson, KC, for the prosecution, said they would seek a retrial on one of those charges, the attempted murder of Child K, whose parents were in the public gallery.

A provisional date was set for June 10 next year and the trial is expected to take up to three weeks. Letby appeared at today’s hearing via a video link from HMP New Hall in Wakefield, West Yorks. Wearing a blue long-sleeved top, she spoke only to confirm her name and to confirm she could hear the court clearly.

After today’s hearing, Tamlin Bolton, a Senior Associate Solicitor at Switalskis, who is representing seven families: “We are disappointed with the CPS decision to not proceed with a retrial on all of the cases. We believe that the families of the further alleged victims still have questions that are unanswered, and they deserve to know what happened to their children. On the back of the CPS decision those families will need to pursue other channels to get the answers.”

Jonathan Storer, Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “These decisions on whether to seek retrials on the remaining counts of attempted murder were extremely complex and difficult. Before reaching our conclusions we listened carefully to the views of the families affected, police and prosecution counsel.

“Many competing factors were considered including the evidence heard by the court during the long trial and its impact on our legal test for proceeding with a prosecution. We have met with all the families affected by these decisions to explain how they were reached.”

Earlier this month Letby, from Hereford, lodged an appeal against her conviction at the Court of Appeal. The government has ordered an inquiry into how Letby was able to commit her crimes.