Nurse Lucy Letby appears in court accused of murdering 8 babies in killing spree

24 January 2022, 16:15 | Updated: 24 January 2022, 16:23

A nurse accused of murdering eight babies while working at a hospital in Chester has been remanded into custody ahead of her trial.

Lucy Letby allegedly carried out a year-long killing spree from June 2015 while working on the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The 32-year-old, who made a further appearance in court on Monday via video link, denies the murders and also denies 10 counts of attempted murder.

She has been remanded at HMP Bronzefield in Ashford, Surrey.

A videolink to Chester Crown Court showed what appeared to be around a dozen family members of the victims listening to the hearing with the judge Mr Justice Goss appearing via video link sitting at Nottingham Crown Court.

Letby, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, is accused of the murder of five baby boys and three baby girls and the attempted murder of five baby boys and five baby girls, all between June 2015 and June 2016.

The reporting of the identities of surviving and deceased children allegedly attacked by Letby is prohibited by a court order.

This also means parents or witnesses connected with the children cannot be identified.

Monday's hearing dealt with arrangements ahead of Letby's trial at Manchester Crown Court, due to start on October 4 and scheduled to last six months.

Two further pre-trial hearings were set for April and June or July later this year.

Mr Justice Goss remanded Letby into custody until the next hearing.