Four key moments from the Lucy Letby inquiry today
Basic failures by the hospital where killer nurse Lucy Letby worked had “fatal consequences” for babies, an inquiry into her crimes has heard.
On the third day of the Thirlwall Inquiry – set up to examine how the 34-year-old nurse was able to carry out her crimes in the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 – a lawyer representing seven of the families said there were “five basic failures which occurred right from the start and which continued for the next two years”.
Also during the inquiry, a separate lawyer for some of the parents of babies murdered by Letby said everybody who “recklessly promotes conspiracy theories” about the case should be “ashamed of themselves”.
It follows a number of experts in recent weeks raising concerns about the safety of Letby's conviction.
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>‘Five basic failures’ at hospital where Letby worked
> Letby conspiracy theorists ‘should be ashamed'
> Breathing tubes 'dislodged Letby shifts'
> 'The serial killer is venerated'
‘Five basic failures’ at hospital where Letby worked
"Basic failures" by the hospital where Letby worked had "fatal consequences", an inquiry heard.
Peter Skelton KC, representing seven of the families, detailed five "basic failures" by the hospital.
Speaking at Liverpool Town Hall, he said: "The first failure was to conduct swift, careful and methodical investigations into why each of the deaths occurred and whether there were connections between the deaths."
Letby conspiracy theorists ‘should be ashamed'
The parents of babies murdered by the former nurse Lucy Letby have said conspiracy theorists should be “ashamed”, in a statement read by a lawyer to a public inquiry.
There have been numerous reports highlighting the doubts of some over Letby’s convictions, including a group of neonatal experts and statisticians who have called on the government to postpone or change the terms of the inquiry over their concerns.
At the inquiry on Thursday, Richard Baker KC, a barrister speaking on behalf of the parents of Children C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, O, P and R, five of whom were murdered by Letby, said: “Everybody who recklessly promotes conspiracy theories, or who parrots them without questioning the same tired misconceptions about this case, should be ashamed of themselves.
Breathing tubes 'dislodged Letby shifts'
Breathing tubes became dislodged on 40% of shifts that Lucy Letby worked as a trainee nurse in Liverpool before she went on her killing spree at the Countess of Chester Hospital, a public inquiry has heard.
Letby, 34, is understood to have completed two work placements at Liverpool Women’s Hospital between October and December 2012, and January and February 2015.
In his opening statement on Thursday, Richard Baker KC, representing nine families, said that collapses in neonatal units involving “unusual” complications such as dislodgement of endotracheal tubes was “uncommon”.
“You will hear that an audit carried out by Liverpool Women’s Hospital recorded that whilst Lucy Letby was working there, dislodgement of endotracheal tubes occurred in 40% of shifts that she worked. One may wonder: why?”
'The serial killer is venerated'
Part of the opening statement of Richard Baker KC, a barrister speaking on behalf of the parents of Children C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, O, P and R:
“The position of the families in this inquiry is unique. They are anonymised by ciphers, as are their children. Some are concerned that this has the effect of dehumanising them in the eyes of the public and media, and has cultivated an environment where people feel able to express vile opinions through social media, an environment where the serial killer who murdered or attacked their children is, by contrast, humanised or even venerated.
