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A nurse has been placed in pretrial detention after being charged with the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of ten others.
Lucy Letby appeared via video link at Warrington Magistrates Court and spoke in a loud and clear voice to confirm her name, date of birth and Hereford address.
The children under the age of 12 months who were allegedly killed were named on the judicial list as Cemlyn Bennett, Joseph Johnson, Elsie McNall, Barney Gee, Daisy Parkin, Maddie Freed, Joseph Gelder and Eli Gelder.
Police photo outside Letby’s home in June 2019
An attorney representing two of the grieving families told Sky News that it has been “an incredibly difficult time” for them.
Emma Doughty of Slater and Gordon said: “I don’t think we can put into words what they’ve been through. It’s just a roller coaster followed by a period of reflection if there will ever be justice.
“You have to have a balance, they want to see it through, but it brings everything back to them. You can only imagine the ongoing pain they feel when they bring it up again.
“They put their trust in the hospital to take care of their most precious being, their son, and that trust is gone. They want to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Letby, 30, was arrested for the third time Tuesday as part of an investigation into Countess of Chester Hospital that began in 2017.
Pascale Jones, the accuser, told the court that there were “substantial reasons” to believe that she should remain in pre-trial detention “for her own protection.”
It took just over two and a half minutes for District Judge Nicholas Sanders to read all the charges, which relate to a period between June 2015 and June 2016.
He said the names of the children related to the attempted murder charges could not be released.
No allegations were presented and the relatives of the alleged victims observed the process from remote locations.
On Tuesday, police said the parents of all the babies involved were kept fully up-to-date on the developments and that officers were supportive.
Letby is due to appear in Chester Crown Court for a rehearing on Friday afternoon.
Detectives launched an investigation into infant deaths at the hospital in May 2017, initially looking at the deaths of 15 babies between June 2015 and June 2016.
The investigation was later expanded to the deaths of 17 babies and 16 non-fatal collapses between March 2015 and July 2016.
