Lucy Letby sentencing LIVE: Serial killer's whole-life order 'reflects the true scale of her horrific crimes', says police officer involved in bringing nurse to justice

Serial killer Lucy Letby will serve life behind bars with the country's most depraved murderers - but will be held in segregation at first to stop her being attacked.

The 33-year-old will be in HMP Low Newton in Durham alongside Joanna Dennehy, who slayed three men during a 10-day spree in 2013.

It is next door to the so-called 'Monster Mansion' HMP Frankland, which holds Ian Huntley, Wayne Couzens and Levi Belfield.

Read the full story on MailOnline here:

The mother of Olivia Pratt-Korbel has described her daughter's killer's refusal to attend sentencing as a 'punch in the stomach' as she leads calls for a change in the law.

Lucy Letby, 33, did not appear in the dock as she was handed a whole-life order for murdering seven babies and harming six others, prompting widespread anger over how callous killers are denying victims' families the opportunity to tell them how their crimes have affected them.

Cheryl Korbel, 47, had her nine-year-old child taken from her forever in a horrific shooting in Liverpool by killer Thomas Cashman on August 22 last year. She described his absence from court as a 'kick in the teeth'.

Read the full story on MailOnline here:

An emotional Ruth Langford was forced to choke back tears when discussing killer nurse Lucy Letby during today's Loose Women.

The host was reading about the murderer's refusal to attend court and listen to the victim impact statements.

Langford had tears in her eyes as she introduced the discussion to her fellow panelists, explaining how Letby would not leave her cell to appear in the dock.

Read the full story on MailOnline today:

Lucy Letby's refusal to appear in the dock for her sentencing hearing was an 'insult to the families of her victims', Alex Chalk said.

In a statement, the Justice Secretary said: 'She took the coward's approach, insulting her victims one last time by robbing their families of the chance to look her in the eye as the judge decided her fate.

'Cases like these make me even more determined to make sure the worst offenders attend court to face justice, when ordered by the judge.

'That's why we are looking at options to change the law at the earliest opportunity to ensure that in the silence that follows the clang of the prison gate, society's condemnation will be ringing in prisoners' ears.'

Police said they were reviewing Lucy Letby's career prior to the period covered by the charges, at the Countess of Chester Hospital and at the Liverpool Women's Hospital where she had spent part of her training.

Detectives are looking at the more than 4,000 admissions made into the two hospitals' neo-natal units from 2012 to 2016.

'Only those cases highlighted as concerning medically will be investigated further,' said Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes, who led the investigation.

Over 18 months from January 2015, there was a significant rise in the number of babies dying and suffering serious collapses at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Senior doctors became worried as many of the babies had deteriorated suddenly and unexpectedly, and then did not respond to appropriate resuscitation.

Other babies, who suddenly collapsed and did not die, recovered, with both their collapse and recovery defying usual medical norms.

The police and medical experts were called in and as they looked for a cause, they eventually focused on one common factor - Lucy Letby.

She was first arrested in July 2018, and then again in June 2019 and November 2020 when she was charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another ten between June 2015 and July 2016.

Last week, she was convicted by a jury of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more. Today, she was given a whole life order by a judge.

Lucy Letby's motives remain unclear. During the trial, the prosecution said Letby 'gaslighted' her colleagues into believing the rise in baby deaths was 'just a run of bad luck'.

The court heard that Letby took an unusual interest in the families of her victims, making searches for them on social media.

She also sent a sympathy card to the grieving parents of a child she was later found guilty of murdering.

Handwritten notes found during police searches at Letby's home were among the evidence seen by the court, one of which had 'I am evil I did this' written in capital letters.

Judge Mr Justice Goss said today that it was not part of his role to 'reach conclusions about the underlying reasons' for Letby's actions.

'Nor could I,' said the judge. He added: 'For they are known only to you [Letby].'

The inquiry into Lucy Letby's crimes should be put on a statutory footing, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Adding his voice to the growing number of figures calling for the independent probe the Government has announced to be strengthened, the Labour leader said: 'I think it should be a statutory inquiry and I'll tell you why.

'One because that's what the victims' family want and after what they've been through, I think that is a really important consideration.

'Secondly, what a statutory inquiry gives you is the power to order documents, to order witnesses to come forward. So we get the fullest, proper, comprehensive analysis of what went wrong here.

'So I think it has to be a statutory inquiry. I don't think that needs to hold things up. We could get on with that very quickly.'

Following the sentencing of Lucy Letby, Cheshire Constabulary Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans said: 'The sentence reflects the true scale and gravity of her horrific crimes and ensures that a calculated and dangerous individual is behind bars for a very long time.

'Nothing will bring back the babies who died or take away the pain and suffering experienced by all of the families over the years but I hope that the significant sentence will bring some comfort at this dark time.

'The victim impact statements read out in court today on behalf of the parents are a chilling reminder of the pain and suffering that each family has had to endure over the years.

'Hearing their own experiences in their own words has been truly heartbreaking.'

Sir Keir Starmer also said he shared the victims' families anger about not seeing Lucy Letby in the dock for her sentencing hearing as he urged the Government to change the law to compel criminals to attend.

The Labour leader told journalists: 'What I don't think should be allowed to happen is for the Government to say because there are practical considerations, which of course there are, we'll do nothing about it.

'Just think of those victims' families today not seeing the defendant in the dock facing justice as she properly should. They are angry, they're frustrated. I share that.

'I saw for myself just how important it is. So from our position, we're thinking not about party politics. We're thinking about the victims, making an absolutely open offer to the Government, we'll work with you, overcome the practical considerations, and let's get this done, let's get the law changed.'

Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of 'dragging its heels' over changing the law to compel criminals to attend their sentencing hearings.

The Labour leader told reporters: 'I want to see action as quickly as possible in this case because victims' families have been through the most awful ordeal. They're entitled to see justice delivered...

'So we need to change the law. I hope the Government will do it because I think it can be done very quickly.

'If they don't, we will force an amendment to appropriate legislation. But actually, my position is to invite the Government to get on with it, to offer Labour's support so this could go through very, very quickly.

'This isn't the first case. The Government has been dragging its heels on this. Get on with it for the sake of these victims, and of course, the other cases that went before it.'

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government wants to change the law to compel offenders to attend their sentencing hearings.

Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - after Lucy Letby was sentenced to a whole-life order, Mr Chalk said: 'Lucy Letby is not just a murderer but a coward, whose failure to face her victims' families, refusing to hear their impact statements and society's condemnation, is the final insult.

'We are looking to change the law so offenders can be compelled to attend sentencing hearings.'

Senior crown prosecutor Pascale Jones, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, has said today’s sentence means Letby will 'never again be able to inflict the suffering she did while working as a neonatal nurse'.

Ms Jones added: 'She has rightly been brought to justice by the courts. My thoughts remain with the families of the victims who have demonstrated enormous strength in the face of extraordinary suffering.

'I hope that the trial has brought answers which had long eluded them.'

After sentencing Lucy Letby, judge Mr Justice Goss has also now addressed the families of the victims present at Manchester Crown Court.

He said: 'For those of you who have lost a child you have my sincerest condolences. I am deeply conscious of your losses. Your lives were and will remain transformed by these events.'

Mr Justice Goss said: 'By their nature and number such murders and attempted murder by a neo-natal nurse entrusted to care for them is a case of very exceptional circumstances'.

He said: 'This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder'

He added: 'You killed seven fragile babies and attempted to kill six others. Some of your victims were only a day or a few days old. All were extremely vulnerable.'

The judge also said: 'There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions.

'During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors.'

Sentencing her to a whole-life order for each offence, he said: 'You will spend the rest of your life in prison.'

Lucy Letby has today become only the fourth woman in UK history to receive a whole life order.

The sentences are the most severe punishment available in Britain's criminal justice system and are reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes.

Letby has joined a string of the country's most dangerous offenders who are likely to die behind bars, including Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, necrophiliac David Fuller and homegrown terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who murdered MP Sir David Amess.

A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order, four of which are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.

Only three women have previously been handed the sentence: the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley - who died in 2002 - and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.

Letby could also follow in the footsteps of gun fanatic Louis De Zoysa, who was handed such a sentence last month after shooting Metropolitan Police custody sergeant Matt Ratana while handcuffed in a police cell in 2020.

Lucy Letby will spend the rest of her life in prison after being given a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court for the murders of seven babies and attempted murders of six others.

She will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.

Lucy Letby has just been given a whole life order by Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court.

The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.

Only three women have previously been handed a whole life order, which has no minimum term.

Mr Justice Goss said it was not part of his role to 'reach conclusions about the underlying reasons' for Letby's actions.

'Nor could I,' said the judge.

He added: 'For they are known only to you.'

Mr Justice Goss told Manchester Crown Court: 'The impact of your crimes has been immense.'

He said 'lifelong harm' had been caused after Letby targeted babies whose lives were cut short 'almost as soon as they began'.

The judge said: 'All in horrific circumstances.'

He added: 'Loving parents have been robbed of their cherished children. You have caused deep psychological trauma.'

Lucy Letby is not in the courtroom at Manchester Crown Court for her sentencing today after refusing to go into the dock.

Mr Justice Goss has ordered that she is given a copy of his sentencing remarks, and the victim impact statements.

Mr Justice Goss said Lucy Letby took opportunities to harm babies while staff were on breaks.

He said: 'You knew the last thing anyone working in the unit would or did think was that someone caring for the babies was deliberately harming them.'

He said handover sheets relating to all but the first four babies were found when police searched Letby's home.

He said: 'I'm satisfied you started to keep these documents after the initial attacks in June 2015 as morbid records of the dreadful events surrounding the collapses of your victims and what you had done to them.'

Mr Justice Goss told Manchester Crown Court: 'There was premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions.'

He said Letby 'relished' being in the intensive care unit where she took an interest in 'uncommon' complications and targeted twins and triplets.

The judge said the defendant prided herself on her professionalism which enabled her to start harming children without suspicion.

Sentencing Lucy Letby, Mr Justice Goss said: 'You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions.

'The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them.'

Judge Mr Justice Goss has now started his sentencing remarks in the case of Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court.

He began by saying: 'The defendant has refused to attend court for this sentencing hearing. Accordingly, I have to sentence her in her absence.'

Mr Justice Goss has returned to the courtroom at Manchester Crown Court, and will soon pass sentence in the case of Lucy Letby.

Letby is in the court building but has refused to go into the dock.

The Government is looking at changing the law to ensure criminals attend their sentencing in court, Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters: 'We are looking at changing the law to make sure that attendance happens. That's something we'll bring forward in due course.'

On whether existing bills going through Parliament could be amended, he said: 'I can't get into speculation. I would point out that the Victims and Prisoners Bill only covers victims and certain parts of criminal justice policy. So it wouldn't be an appropriate vehicle for this sort of change. But you heard from the Prime Minister that we are committed to changing the law.'

The inquiry into the crimes of Lucy Letby could be put on a statutory footing, Downing Street has suggested.

Asked by reporters today if the Government has ruled out holding a statutory inquiry, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'No, I think as you heard the Prime Minister say this morning, we are focused on the outcomes, the most important thing is to make sure families get the answers they need and that it's possible to learn the lessons, that it's done transparently and that it happens as quickly as possible. And that's crucial. And obviously, we will have an inquiry on the right footing to achieve that.'

Pressed again on whether it could be a statutory inquiry, he said: 'As I say we will put it on the right footing to achieve those outcomes.'

On whether Downing Street has any targets for when the terms of reference will be set out, the PM's official spokesman said 'not at this stage'.

Members of the families of Lucy Letby's victims - including those who did not receive a verdict for their child - packed the public gallery at Manchester Crown Court today.

They were all wearing an identical pin badge in support of each other.

Members of the investigating team and family liaison officers were also wearing the badge.

Cheshire Constabulary released this image of the badge on Saturday:

Mr Justice Goss has now adjourned the case to 12.30pm when he said he would proceed to sentencing remarks.

Earlier in the hearing, Ben Myers KC, defending, said there was nothing he was able to add in mitigation that was capable of reducing the sentence.

He said: 'Miss Letby has maintained her innocence throughout these proceedings. She has now been convicted by the jury and the court therefore must and will proceed in accordance with the verdicts of guilty returned by the jury.'

Earlier, it was understood that sentencing would take place from 2pm - although that timing was always subject to change.

The father of Child O and Child P said in pre-recorded video statement played to Manchester Crown Court: 'Lucy Letby has destroyed our lives.

'The anger and the hatred I have towards her will never go away. It has destroyed me as a man and as a father.'

The man wiped away tears and was visibly upset in the recording as he said: 'The continual pressure of having the trial hanging over us has been immense and difficult to describe.

'Even after the trial has ended, it will continue to haunt us and will always have an impact on our lives.'

In a pre-recorded statement played to the court, the mother of Child O and Child P described being in a 'state of shock' after two of her triplets were murdered by Letby.

She said she continued to be haunted by 'vivid images' from the time and lived in 'constant fear' of anything happening to her children.

Speaking about the trial, she said: 'Being within the courtroom environment was extremely harrowing. That was the first time I had seen Lucy Letby since 2016.'

She said she sat behind a monitor so she was not in a direct line of sight and found the evidence difficult to listen to.

She added: 'Having to come to terms with the police investigation has made the past few years unbearable.'

She told the court Letby had been the last person to hold Child P and she had dressed him after he died. She added: 'She has destroyed our lives.'

The relatives of murder victims Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Elle Edwards, who were both shot dead in Merseyside last year, are behind calls to change the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings.

Cheryl Korbel, the mother of nine-year-old Olivia, is now running a campaign called Face The Family, after gunman Thomas Cashman did not attend his sentencing.

She told Sky News: 'We'd spent weeks doing impact statements. Those feelings were deep down, and bringing them to the surface was really hard, but we did it. And to find out we weren't able to face him was just horrendous.'

And Tim Edwards, father of Miss Edwards, said that seeing her killer Connor Chapman in court helped bring closure.

He added: 'At least we have the satisfaction and knowledge that he has heard what we've gone through. How he processes that is out of our hands, but it's important you're given that chance to do that.'

In a statement read to Manchester Crown Court, the mother of Child N, who survived, said she always knew her son had been deliberately harmed.

She said that she felt 'happy and relieved' when the police got in contact to say they were investigating Letby because 'we felt like we were being listened to'.

'Finally we would receive some answers,' she said.

She said: 'We just questioned why a healthy baby boy was fine one minute and bleeding from the mouth and needing CPR the next.'

The woman outlined the impact on her family 'all because of the evil actions of someone else'.

She said: 'Our trust in people in a position of trust has been completely broken.'

The Daily Mail’s Liz Hull was one of the only journalists in court every day for the trial of Lucy Letby, who faced 22 charges of murder and attempted murder of babies in her care.

Liz, together with broadcast journalist Caroline Cheetham produced the groundbreaking podcast The Trial of Lucy Letby, which brought to life the trial as it happened.

In this documentary, Liz and Caroline reveal the shocking inside story of what really happened in the courtroom, as Britain’s most prolific child killer was brought to justice.

Her crimes make her the most prolific child murderer in modern British history.

Watch the full documentary on the Daily Mail’s YouTube channel here:

A large media presence continued to report on the Lucy Letby case outside Manchester Crown Court today.

Journalists were seen giving pieces to camera this morning while the sentencing hearing goes on.

In a statement read to the court, the father of two babies who Letby attempted to murder said the nurse looked at him as he sat in court.

The father of Child L and Child M said: 'There was a day when I was at the trial and the public gallery was full and I was sat in Lucy Letby's line of view and she kept looking over at me.

'That made me feel quite uncomfortable and uneasy and I had to move in the afternoon so I was out of her view.'

He said the image of his son collapsing was 'forever etched' in his mind and the stress and strain had been unbearable at times.

He said: 'Initially doctors told us that the whole events that took place in 2016 surrounding my children was normal for premature babies and we believed what the doctors were telling us at the time. Little did we know that a year or so after their birth the police would come knocking on the door and break the news that this could be an attempted murder case.'

He said he had been prescribed anti-depressants but said: 'Even though they have helped they can never take away the feelings I have as a parent knowing now what had truly happened at the Countess of Chester in 2016 and it doesn't make it any easier to cope with over time.'

Rishi Sunak today defended the non-statutory inquiry announced by the Government into Lucy Letby's crimes amid calls for it to be put on a statutory footing led by a judge.

Asked whether it should be upgraded to a judge-led probe, with the power to compel witnesses to appear before it, the Prime Minister said: 'I think the important thing for the inquiry to do is make sure that families get the answers that they need, that it is possible for us to learn the lessons from what happened, everything conducted transparently, and to happen as quickly as possible.

'Those are the objectives that we want for the inquiry and we'll make sure that it's set up to deliver on those aims.'

Children's minister Claire Coutinho earlier argued that the independent inquiry launched after Letby's convictions last Friday would be 'much quicker'.

But Dame Christine Beasley, a former chief nursing officer, warned that witnesses 'can opt out of it if they want to' as she joined a growing list of figures pushing for the investigation to be strengthened.

Steve Brine, the Conservative chairman of the Health Select Committee, warned yesterday that some key witnesses may not be willing to co-operate with the independent inquiry, which he said could drag on for years and 'disappear down a rabbit hole'.

In a statement read to Manchester Crown Court, the mother of Child I said: 'I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her and everything she went through over her short life was deliberately done by someone who was supposed to protect her and help her come home where she belonged.'

She outlined the huge impact the death of her daughter has had on her and her husband.

The woman said: 'We were both absolutely broken that someone could do something so evil to our precious little girl and this has had a massive effect on our family even until this day. We dug for years trying to get answers for what had happened and over the years we have been in some very dark places mentally.'

She said: '(Her husband) wished he was dead, he wished it was him that died and not (Child I).'

The woman said: 'When they handed (Child I) to us we never wanted to let her go, we held her so tight she was our gorgeous little princess and I cant even begin to explain the pain. When we lost her a part of us died with her.'

Lucy Letby's parents have not turned up to see their daughter sentenced after she was confirmed as the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history.

The nurse's parents, Susan, 63, and John, 77, were a constant presence during her ten-month trial at Manchester Crown Court and attended every day.

But they were not present for the final verdicts last Friday, and again failed to turn up this morning for the sentencing hearing as she faces a whole-life order.

Read the full story on MailOnline here:

In a statement, the father of Child G, who Letby was found guilty of attempting to murder twice, said the baby had been born prematurely and the start of her life was a 'bumpy road'.

He said: 'Every day I would sit there and pray. I would pray for God to save her. He did. He saved her, but the devil found her.'

He said their child now had brain damage, was registered blind, and was fed through a tube.

Speaking about receiving the call to say someone was arrested, he said: 'I just didn't expect that. I just want it to be over now.'

The families of Lucy Letby's victims today told how they been robbed of ever being able to hold their precious babies while they were still alive - as the 'cowardly' killer refused to come to court for her sentencing.

Read the full story from Rory Tingle and Nick Craven on MailOnline here:

Lucy Letby could face the rest of her life behind bars if she is handed a whole-life order, becoming only the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a sentence.

Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in Britain’s criminal justice system and are reserved for those who commit the most heinous crimes.

As the most prolific child serial killer in modern UK history, the 33-year-old nurse is expected to be handed such a sentence this afternoon.

If this happens, she will join a string of the country's most dangerous offenders who are likely to die behind bars, including Sarah Everard's killer Wayne Couzens, necrophiliac David Fuller and homegrown terrorist Ali Harbi Ali who murdered MP Sir David Amess.

A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order. They will never be considered for release, unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.

Only three women have previously been handed the sentence: the girlfriend of Moors murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley - who died in 2002 - and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.

Letby could also follow in the footsteps of gun fanatic Louis De Zoysa, who was handed such a sentence last month after shooting Metropolitan Police custody sergeant Matt Ratana while handcuffed in a police cell in 2020.

The mother of Child E, who died, and Child F, who survived, told Manchester Crown Court: 'The trial felt like a platform for Lucy to relive her crimes and it feels cruel that we had to endure a 10-month trial when she knew all along that she intentionally killed and harmed my babies. She has repeatedly disrespected my boy's memory.'

She told the court: 'Even in these final days of the trial she has tried to control things, the disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is. We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough, and stays in her cell, just one final act of wickedness from a coward.'

The woman said: 'I would like to thank Lucy for taking the stand and showing the court what she is really like once the 'nice Lucy' mask slips. It was honestly the best thing she could have done to ensure our boys got the justice they deserve.'

She said: 'We have been living a nightmare but, for me, it ends today. I refuse to wake up with my first thought be about my boys being harmed. Lucy no longer has control over our lives. She holds no power or relevance in anybody's life. She is nothing.'

The woman said her son who survived has been diagnosed with severe learning difficulties 'which we believe is a result of being poisoned with a large quantity of insulin'. She said: 'I never allow him to be alone with medical professionals.'

The mother of Child D added: 'We still have (Child D's) death to declare officially and this could not be done until the cause of death had been agreed.

'This is going to be another difficult thing to do, going to the registrar and declaring our daughter's death eight years after her birth.

'We wanted justice for (Child D) and that day has come.'

The mother of Child D told the court: 'Lucy Letby had a chance to say something to us all, parents of the victims, and she had only one word - 'unimaginable'.

'Her wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is a scandal. Lucy Letby. You failed God and the plans he had for (Child D). You even called it fate. You were clearly disconnected with God.'

She said after her baby's death she asked for her medical notes and met with doctors and management from the Countess of Chester Hospital.

She said: 'We got a solicitor and I wanted the police involved. At that stage I was told this was not a criminal matter so the police was out of the question.'

A week before the baby's inquest was due to take place she was told they were due to arrest someone, she said.

She added: 'Thank God the police started their investigation.'

Rishi Sunak said the inquiry announced by the Government into the crimes of serial killer Lucy Letby should 'happen as quickly as possible'.

The Prime Minister was asked whether the probe should be put on a statutory footing led by a judge, as a growing number of figures are calling for.

He told broadcasters during a visit to a nursery in North Yorkshire: 'I think the important thing for the inquiry to do is make sure that families get the answers that they need, that it is possible for us to learn the lessons from what happened, everything conducted transparently and to happen as quickly as possible.

'Those are the objectives that we want for the inquiry and we'll make sure that it's set up to deliver on those aims.'

The mother of Child C choked back tears as she told Letby in her absence: 'At least now there is no debate that, in your own words, you killed them on purpose. You are evil. You did this.'

She said: 'Lucy Letby, to think that you could get any kind of gratification from inflicting pain... and from watching our suffering in the aftermath goes against everything I believe it is to be human.

'I am horrified that someone so evil exists. To you, our son's life was collateral damage in your persistent desire for drama, attention, praise and sympathy.'

The woman told the court: 'I blame myself entirely for his death. I still live with the guilt that I couldn't protect him during pregnancy or in his short life.'

She said: 'Knowing now that his murderer was watching us throughout these traumatic hours is like something out of a horror story.

The woman called him 'my tiny, feisty boy - my first born, my son' and my 'defenceless baby boy'.

Rishi Sunak said serial child murderer Lucy Letby was 'cowardly' for refusing to appear for her sentencing hearing.

The Prime Minister was asked during a visit to a nursery in North Yorkshire whether the Government was too slow in changing the law to force her to be in the dock.

He told broadcasters: 'The first thing is to extend my sympathies to everyone affected by this.

'I think, like everyone reading about this, it's just shocking and harrowing.

'Now, I think it's cowardly that people who commit such horrendous crimes do not face their victims and hear first hand the impact that their crimes have had on them and their families and loved ones.

'We are looking and have been at changing the law to make sure that that happens and that's something that we'll bring forward in due course.'

In a statement, the mother of Child A, who was murdered by Letby, and Child B, who she attempted to kill, said: 'You thought it was your right to play God with our children's lives.'

She said after the death of Child A they feared for their second child and made sure a member of the family was always with her, but 'made a mistake' and started to believe what happened to the first child was a 'tragic event that couldn't be stopped'.

She added: 'Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us a reason to carry on in life.'

In the statement, made on behalf of her and her partner, she said: 'Maybe you thought by doing this you would be remembered forever but I want you to know my family will never think of you again.

'From this day you are nothing.'

She also said there would always be a 'gaping hole' where their son should be, adding: 'We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.'

Nicholas Johnson KC, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court Letby's offending was a 'very, very clear case' for a whole-life tariff to be imposed.

He said the murders qualified on a number of grounds, including that they were premeditated and they involved an elements of 'sadistic conduct'.

Mr Johnson said there was also more than one victim and those victims were children.

The prosecutor opened his remarks by confirming that the defendant 'has refused to come into court'.

A statutory inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby's baby murders should take place, a former chief nursing officer has said.

Dame Christine Beasley told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme: 'I think what a statutory inquiry will do is compel people to come and give evidence where in an independent inquiry people can opt out of it if they want to.

'So I really understand parents and families wanting to make sure we get to the bottom of whatever happened there so that we can actually learn.

'So I think I would go down on the side of a statutory inquiry would be better because whatever the outcome of the independent inquiry is, I feel that relatives and patients will not feel that they've got to the bottom of it.

'And so I think on balance, it would be best to do a statutory inquiry.'

Lucy Letby did not appear in the dock at the beginning of her sentencing hearing today at Manchester Crown Court for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more. 

More than a dozen relatives of Letby's victims sat in the public gallery for the hearing, and eight jurors returned to see the sentencing.

Mr Justice Goss began the hearing by reminding those watching of reporting restrictions in place.

Education minister Claire Coutinho also appeared on Sky News today, and said speed is 'of the essence' when it comes to the independent inquiry into the circumstances behind Lucy Letby's baby murders.

Asked if it should become a statutory inquiry, she said: 'Well, whenever something like this happens, there's always a debate about whether it should be statutory or non-statutory. And there are different benefits to both.

'As you say with a statutory inquiry, it means you can compel people to give evidence. With a non-statutory inquiry is often much quicker. I think, in this case, everyone wants to make sure that this will never ever happen again and I think speed is of the essence to make sure that expectant parents across the country can feel assured that they know that there are steps in place to make sure that this won't happen again.'

On why existing legislation is not being used to bring Letby to court, Ms Coutinho said: 'Well, I'm sure they will look at everything that they can do to make sure that that is enforced. But I think there are some changes that it sounds like are needed as well to make sure that in every instance the perpetrator has to go to court and have that moment, as I said, of justice.'

She added: 'I'm not a justice minister, but I think one of the things that may be a challenge is if someone gets a life order, then extending custody by two years might not be enough of an incentive to make sure that people come.'

There is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that, an education minister has said.

Asked on GB News about Lucy Letby's refusal to attend her sentencing for the murders of seven babies, Claire Coutinho said: 'Well, look I think it's appalling. I think she should be there.

'And I know that the Justice Secretary has said he's very committed to making changes that are needed to make sure that people who have committed awful crimes have to go to court so they can hear things like the victims' impact statement, which is really their moment to tell that person how this has impacted them.'

On how it should be done, she said: 'I'm not a justice minister but what I do know is that the Justice Secretary has talked about his commitment to it.

'I know that there is commitment across Government to making sure that people who have committed crimes are facing the reality of that so they can hear these things and my understanding is that does mean that a change in the law is needed and the Justice Secretary has said that he's committed to looking at that.'

For months, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history was able to get away with a series of baby deaths that remained unexplained.

Lucy Letby murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016.

While the twisted child killer continued to carry out the murders, hospital bosses refused to believe the 'nice' 33-year-old nurse was doing anything wrong.

But the 'tipping point' happened when Letby, from Hereford, was on duty at a time when two of three premature triplets died within 24 hours in June 2016.

Here, MailOnline looks back at how Letby's crimes came to light, ahead of her sentencing today when she is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars:

A senior NHS manager believed to have ignored warnings about Lucy Letby while she was director of nursing at the baby killer's hospital has been suspended.

Alison Kelly was accused in court of failing to act even when doctors raised 'serious concerns' about the nurse during her time as director of nursing and quality at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

She is now a director of nursing at the Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust located in the Manchester area.

Read the full story on MailOnline today:

Killer nurse Lucy Letby should be dragged into court to hear the full horrors of her crimes, the victims' families said today.

Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced on Monday, but is refusing to come to the dock for the hearing.

Today, former justice secretary Robert Buckland said she should be forced to listen to families give their victim impact statements from her cell if she cannot be dragged into court.

Read the full story on MailOnline here:

Last Friday, jurors at Manchester Crown Court completed their deliberations of 110 hours and 26 minutes - spanning 22 days - following the Lucy Letby trial which began in October last year.

The jury of seven women and four men convicted Letby of seven counts of murder and seven counts of attempted murder in relation to six other infants.

It has been reported that a prison van believed to be carrying Lucy Letby has arrived at Manchester Crown Court.

However, this does not mean Letby will be in the dock, because she could simply refuse to leave the cells.

Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is 'committed' to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings.

Former justice secretary Robert Buckland called for the sentencing to be played into Letby's cell if she does not attend, regardless of her wishes, and said she should have to listen to the victim statements from the families of the babies she murdered.

'She needs to hear the victim's personal statements, as impact statements that will really bring home I think, to the wider world, the appalling devastating impact of the loss of these innocent children, these innocent babies, have had upon dozens of families,' Mr Buckland told GB News.

Mr Justice Goss said the court has no power to force a defendant to attend a sentencing hearing but a Government source suggested 'lawful enforcement' could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends if it is considered necessary, reasonable and proportionate.

'Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society's condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge,' the source told the PA news agency.

'If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.'

Lucy Letby previously indicated she did not intend to return to the dock, did not want to take any part in her sentencing hearing, and would not follow the hearing via video-link from prison.

It is not known whether she will attend court today.

If she does not attend, the move will likely spark further outrage from families of her victims who want to face her when victim impact statements are delivered this morning.

Lucy Letby could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court today.

Whole-life orders are the most severe punishment available in the UK criminal justice system, for those who commit the most serious crimes.

Prisoners given a whole-life order are never considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it.

Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which passed through Parliament last year, the Government has expanded the use of whole-life orders for premeditated murder of a child.

Only three women have previously been handed a whole-life order, which used to be known as a whole life tariff - Hindley, who died in 2002, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.

Lucy Letby’s sentencing will take place at Manchester Crown Court today.

The hearing will begin soon at 10am, with the morning session expected to feature victim personal statements, legal submissions on sentencing guidelines and mitigation.

Judge Mr Justice Goss intends to pass sentence from 2pm but the timings could change.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s liveblog as Lucy Letby is expected to face the rest of her life behind bars when she is sentenced today.

The nurse murdered seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015 and2016.

The most prolific child serial killer in modern British history could be handed a whole-life order by judge Mr Justice Goss at Manchester Crown Court.

Stay with us throughout today for live updates.