U.K. nurse charged with murder of 8 babies, remanded into custody – National

A nurse accused of killing eight babies and trying to kill another 10 at a hospital in northwest England was remanded into custody Thursday, a day after she was charged with murder and attempted murder.

Lucy Letby, 30, was remanded in custody after appearing via video link during a brief 10-minute hearing at Warrington Magistrates’ Court. She sat behind a desk, next to her lawyer, and confirmed her name, date of birth and home address.

No pleas were entered and Letby will appear at Chester Crown Court on Friday.

Letby was arrested Tuesday following an investigation into deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital, south of Liverpool. The deaths relate to the period between June 2015 and June 2016.

“The Crown Prosecution Service has authorized Cheshire police to charge a healthcare professional with murder in connection with an ongoing investigation into a number of baby deaths at the Countess of Chester hospital,” a police spokesman told The Guardian.

He also specified the charge count, saying Letby was facing eight charges of murder and 10 charges of attempted murder. Five of the children were boys and three were girls, according to the BBC. As for the attempted murder charges, five of the babies are boys and five are girls.

District Judge Nicholas Sanders said there should be no audio or video recordings of the proceedings.

Police launched an investigation into the deaths of a number of babies at the hospital in May 2017.

Letby was arrested Tuesday for the third time in connection with the deaths.

She was previously arrested in 2018 and 2019, and both times was released on bail pending further investigation without being charged.

— With files from Chris Jancelewicz