LUCY Letby’s mum screamed “this can’t be right” as her daughter was convicted of being Britain’s worst baby killer.
The sick and twisted nurse was found guilty on Friday of murdering seven babies – making her Britain’s most prolific child killer.
Her heinous crimes were unmasked during a nearly 10-month trial where it was revealed she also attempted to kill six other newborns.
And as the verdict was read out, Letby, 33, was nowhere to be seen in the dock after refusing to leave her cell.
When the serial killer was found guilty, Letby’s mum Susan, 63, fell into the arms of her husband John, 77, bawling as she said: “You can’t be serious; this can’t be right.”
As cops arrested Letby at her Chester home back in 2018, Susan also reportedly told officers: “I did it, take me instead” as she pleaded with them to let Letby free.
The close relationship between the three also came to light during the trial.
According to internal documents, in early 2017, around six months after Letby was dismissed from the Countess of Chester hospital’s neonatal unit, her parents threatened to refer the doctors to the General Medical Council.
Forensic psychologist Dr Sohom Das has now said the couple would have been “blind-sided” by their daughter’s conviction because “she didn’t have any criminal history”.
He went on to say both Susan and John would now be dealing with “shock, disbelief, and even denial” – something shown in the final days of the mammoth trial.
He said: “I don’t think they’ll ever fully understand or accept [what she has done].”
Dr Das believes in the future they will have to “compartmentalise Lucy” as their relationship is “irreparably damaged”.
The couple had previously moved to Manchester from Hereford so they could attend Manchester Crown Court for the trial every day.
DOUBLE LIFE
Jurors were given an insight into Letby‘s double life as the sick and twisted murderer perfected the facade of a normal suburban nurse.
Pictures of her bedroom, taken just hours after her arrest, showed the walls covered in cheesy framed quotes such as “A dream is a wish your heart makes”, “Sparkles wherever you go” and “Shine bright like a diamond”.
Her butterfly quilt cover on the unmade bed was accompanied by multiple cuddly toys while the metal frame had fairy lights wrapped around it.
Two books sat on her white and brown wooded bedside table were a doctor’s memoir about being dangerously ill after a miscarriage, and Never Greener, a novel about a young woman who had an affair with a married man.
Letby’s brown carpet was covered in junk while her chest-of-drawers struggled to close shut.
The messy room also had artificial flowers, a pair of crutches behind the mirror and a grey and bright pink spotted dressing gown chucked on the back of the door.
Her room, in the ordinary semi-detached, was a far cry from the disturbing actions of the woman who slept there.
Letby’s year-long reign of terror took place at Countess of Chester Hospital.
Described “goofy” and “fun-loving” by her friends, she was even pictured partying throughout her killing spree as she hid the dark truth.
Snaps of her downing drinks, pole dancing and donning fancy dress with a beaming smile distracted those closest to her from her twisted mind.
And in a bid to mask her evil, Letby even took a trip to the Spanish party island of Ibiza.
On the day she returned to work following the holiday with her pals, she murdered one triplet by injecting him with a lethal dose of air – inflicting trauma to his liver
She got back into her routine of committing horrific crimes instantly and even messaged a colleague saying she would “probably be back in [work] with a bang lol”.
Letby was even captured smiling on a hen do just hours before murdering her first baby victim.
The government has now announced an independent inquiry, which will see cops look into at least 4,000 babies Letby cared for.
Despite her conviction following a nine month trial and 22 days of jury deliberation, one of Letby’s school pals refuses to accept she’s done anything wrong.
The deluded woman, named Dawn, told BBC Panorama: “I will never believe she’s guilty” as she stands by evil Letby.
In the interview, Dawn said the group of school friends from Aylestone Secondary School, in Hereford, are supporting the nurse.
She said: “We know she couldn’t have done anything that she’s accused of
“Unless Lucy turned around and said ‘I’m guilty’, I will never believe that she’s guilty.
“I grew up with Lucy and not a single thing that I’ve ever seen or witnessed of Lucy would let me for a moment believe she is capable of the thing’s she’s accused of.
“It is the most out of character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy.
“Think of your most kind gentle soft friend and think that they’re being accused of harming babies.”
It comes after police found damning evidence at Letby’s £180,000 semi-detached Chester home when they were called to investigate back in 2017.
I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them
Letby
The nurse had scribbled haunting notes in diaries and on Post-It notes, including one that read: “I am evil I did this”.
The note added: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.
“I am a horrible person.
“I hate myself. There are no words. I am an awful person. I pay every day for that.”
Others read: “I panic I’ll never have children. I don’t deserve mum and dad. The world is better off without me. I did this, why me.”
A note found in a black bin bag in her garage read: “No one will ever know what happened and why . . . I’m a failure.”
Letby had also written: “I am a problem to those who do know me . . . it would be much better for everyone if I just went away. I just want to be happy.”
There were also some that bore the messages “Kill me” and “Help me” along with the names of some the babies she murdered.
In one, Letby scrawled: “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t live like this.
“No one will ever understand or appreciate what’s like.”
Letby had denied 22 offences in total and was accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill ten others.
She had wept as the first set of verdicts was delivered, but refused to enter court as the case was brought to a close on Friday.
Jurors failed to reach verdicts on six remaining counts of attempted murder against four babies – causing some families to storm out.
She was cleared of two counts of attempted murder against two babies.
The prosecutor has now asked for 28 days to consider if there will be a retrial.
KILLER NURSE
The monster used insulin and air to inject newborns while working on the neo-natal ward.
The collapses and deaths of the children were not “naturally-occurring tragedies” and instead the gruesome work of “poisoner” Letby.
During a mammoth trial, jurors were told some of the newborns were repeatedly targeted by the nurse – including one baby Letby is alleged to have killed after three previous failed attempts.
Her reign of terror was finally uncovered after staff grew suspicious of the “significant rise” in the number of babies dying or suffering “catastrophic” collapses.
Letby was found to be the “common denominator” among the deaths and collapses.
Between 2015 and 2016, two babies on the neo-natal unit were “deliberately” poisoned with insulin, which was “no accident”.
Some of the other babies were killed or harmed when air or milk was injected into their bloodstream or via a tube in their stomachs.
In some cases, Letby allegedly took up to three attempts before she managed to kill some of her victims.
A court order prohibits identifying the surviving and deceased children and prohibits identifying parents or witnesses connected with the babies.
Letby will be sentenced on Monday.
