Lucy Letby back in court in final bid to appeal convictions

Letby, 34, was working as a neonatal nurse at Countess of Chester Hospital when she killed the babies between June 2015 and June 2016.

She was subsequently tried and handed an order of life in prison after a jury found her guilty in August 2023.

The former nurse, appeared from prison today, at the Court of Appeal in London requesting leave to appeal. If granted, this right allows someone to appeal their convictions.

Letby’s legal team will lay out the case to judges Dame Victoria Sharp, Mrs Justice Lambert and Lord Justice Holroyde in proceedings expected to conclude this week.

Full details of the grounds for appeal cannot be reported for legal reasons, including concerns it may prejudice a retrial of Letby for one count of attempted murder in June.

However, Dame Victoria told media representatives it can be reported that Letby is putting forward four grounds for appeal.

They include a claim that the original trial judge wrongly refused applications made by her legal team during the trial, she said.

Letby attempted to appeal her convictions previously at the end of 2023, but this was denied by a single judge.

This, her second attempt to gain leave to appeal, in the presence of the three senior judges this week, is her final chance to do so. The leave to appeal hearing continues.

In addition, the former nurse was struck off the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register in a fitness to practice hearing in December.

At the NMC hearing, Letby – via written testimony – maintained her innocence and indicated she sought an appeal.

Meanwhile, the Thirlwall Inquiry, into how Letby was able to carry out the murders while working at Countess of Chester, recently opened.

In March, it was announced that members of dedicated support group for clinicians NHS Whistleblowers were to give evidence to the inquiry as part of the information gathering stage.