Nurse Accused Of Killing 8 Babies, Attempting To Murder 10 More Appears In Court

KEY POINTS

British nurse Lucy Letby appeared before a court Monday virtually from the England prison where she remains in custody
She is accused of murdering eight babies and attempting to kill another 10 at the Countess of Chester Hospital
A provisional date for her trial was set for Jan. 11 next year, but the case's complexity could delay it

A 31-year-old British nurse accused of killing eight babies and attempting to kill another 10 appeared in court Monday.

Lucy Letby, of Hereford, England, appeared before the Manchester Crown Court for a case management hearing via video link from HMP Peterborough, the BBC reported.

She was charged with the murder of five boys and three girls who died between June 2015 and June 2016 in the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in England. Letby is also accused of attempting to murder another five boys and five girls.

The Chester University graduate, who wore a dark shirt and blue jeans, spoke only to confirm her name at the brief hearing to indicate she was able to hear the proceedings.

A provisional date for her trial has been set for Jan. 11 next year, but there is a possibility it could be delayed due to the case's complexity, local newspaper Hereford Times reported. The court will hear the matter again next Monday for an agreed timetable to be put forward.

Justice Ian Dove pointed out that while Letby has not entered a plea in the Monday hearing, it would be necessary for her to be arraigned "in the relatively near future."

"We can't allow that important stage to drift indefinitely," the judge said.

The court said families directly involved in the case would be able to watch Letby's trial remotely via video link if the nurse pleads not guilty. This would eliminate any need for family members to travel to Manchester Crown Court, where the trial is currently scheduled to be held.

Letby remained in custody after the hearing. The nurse was denied bail in November 2020, the BBC previously reported.

A police investigation into the babies' deaths launched in 2017 led to Letby's arrests in 2018 and 2019. The investigation was prompted by the hospital's reports of a high number of deaths between March 2015 and July 2016 — said to be 10% above average.

An internal inquiry by the hospital was undertaken when medics found premature babies had died following heart and lung failure but were unusually impossible to resusciate.