Detectives launch new investigation reviewing Lucy Letby cases

Detectives launch new investigation reviewing the cases of thousands of babies treated by Lucy Letby at two hospitals over her five-year career

The police force that finally brought serial baby killer Lucy Letby to justice launched an entirely new investigation into her murderous activities long before her current trial had even begun, MailOnline can reveal today.

For months a team of officers have been working on the huge task of reviewing thousands of medical files at two hospitals before deciding how many to examine in microscopic detail.

Some parents have already either come forward with suspicions themselves or else been contacted by detectives.

A number have already had specialist family liaison officers assigned to them. These officers will now help guide them through the complexities of an investigative process that may take years to reach a point where Letby can be brought to a second trial.

In the meantime, senior detectives are expected to approach the killer in prison to see whether she is ready to confess to other crimes against newborn babies – most likely of attempted murder.

For months a team of officers have been working on the huge task of reviewing thousands of medical files at two hospitals Letby worked at 

However, the reality is that Letby – now recognised as Britain’s most prolific serial killer of babies in modern times – harmed infants so frequently and sometimes so randomly that even she may not know.

CLICK HERE to listen to The Mail+ podcast: The Trial of Lucy Letby 

The new investigation will be focused mainly on Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby attended a six-month training course. 

But detectives are also likely to review the records of all babies born at the Countess of Chester Hospital where she is already known to have attacked babies in the year from June 2015 to June 2016.

Letby started work there in January 2012 after finishing her nursing degree at Chester University. Previously she had visited the neonatal unit on work experience.

Det Supt Paul Hughes, the senior investigating officer of Operation Hummingbird, said: ‘We are committed to a thorough investigation across the entire footprint of Lucy Letby while she was employed at the Countess of Chester Hospital and on placements at the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

‘That investigation is ongoing, and in the cases identified so far the families have been contacted and are being supported.

‘We will give an update on that particular part of the investigation when we can. The investigation needs to go on’.

He said his team was not investigating the actual deaths of babies. It was impossible to give any numbers for other attacks the killer may have carried out.

‘We’re not looking at deaths at LWH. We’re looking at an overall time. Obviously there are a lot of years to go through, a massive amount of medical records, so it would just be unfair to speculate on that at the moment. But we are looking at a greater period of time’.

The new investigation will be focused mainly on Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where Letby attended a six-month training course

He added: ‘All I can say at the moment is what I’ve said. We are committed to investigating all of the times that Lucy Letby has been employed as a nurse and has had access to neonatal units.

‘We are at the early stages of that investigation because obviously we don’t have unlimited resources’.

Asked whether his officers had identified any suspicious elements in the new cases so far, Det Supt Hughes replied: ‘I can’t answer that at the moment’.

The force’s priority has been to prepare for the trial at Manchester Crown Court and to see it through to its conclusion.

Officers have been left exhausted and emotionally drained by the rigours of Operation Hummingbird, but are determined to drive the new investigation forward.

Det Chief Insp Nicola Evans emphasised that parents with concerns about Letby’s past involvement with their children could reach out to her team.

‘We’ve set up our own reception team during this trial, so that if anybody does have concerns about their own child, wherever that hospital may be, if they contact Cheshire Police they will be put through.’

During Letby’s nine-month trial, it emerged that she took home scores of confidential medical notes as ‘souvenirs’ of her reign of terror on the neonatal unit.

Detectives are also likely to review the records of all babies born at the Countess of Chester Hospital

Prosecutors suggested she used them to trigger memories of attacks she had carried out. In one memorable moment, Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, asked her to spell the surname of one of the babies.

When she failed, he put it to her that she had managed to key it in accurately whilst carrying out a Facebook search because she must have had the medical note in front of her at the time.

The historic nature of the new investigation means that similar documents are unlikely to be found. It may also be that Letby only began to collect such souvenirs and reminders later in her criminal career.

Detectives are likely to want to speak to colleagues who worked alongside Letby as long ago as 2012. Some may already have suspicions about her behaviour as a fledgling nurse, or even while she was studying for her degree at Chester University.

Source: Read Full Article