Detectives have questioned Lucy Letby in prison over the alleged murder of more babies.
The killer nurse was gently questioned about unexpected deaths and baby collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
And she was also asked – for what is believed to be the first time – about cases at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, where she trained as a student.
The 34-year-old former neonatal nurse is already serving a rare life sentence for murdering seven babies and trying to kill another seven at the Countess of Chester Hospital during a 13-month killing spree.
Following her convictions, Cheshire Police began an investigation in August last year into all 4,000 babies she cared for during the ‘footprint’ of her career, which dates back to January 2012 and includes two training stints at Liverpool hospital.
Sources have told the Mail that any charges, if brought, would not be brought until ‘well into the new year’.
Cheshire Police said this evening: ‘We can confirm that, following agreement, Lucy Letby was recently interviewed in prison under caution in relation to the ongoing investigation into infant deaths and non-fatal collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital . Further updates will follow.’ Police will not say exactly when the interview took place or how many specific cases Letby – one of only four women sentenced to life imprisonment in British legal history – was questioned about.
She is currently incarcerated at HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford, Surrey, which houses Category A female prisoners. The interview was pre-arranged and her legal representative was present.
Lucy Letby is serving a rare life sentence for murdering seven babies and trying to kill another seven at the Countess of Chester Hospital during a thirteen-month killing spree
Detectives questioned Letby in jail about the alleged murder of more babies. The killer nurse was gently questioned about unexpected deaths and baby collapses at the Countess of Chester Hospital
The former neonatal nurse is currently incarcerated at HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford, Surrey, which houses Category A female prisoners
Letby was convicted last year of seven charges of murder and seven of attempted murder – one child she tried to kill twice.
She was subsequently found guilty of an eighth charge of attempted murder against another premature baby, following a retrial in July.
She is serving 15 life sentences and earlier this year she was refused permission to appeal her convictions, meaning she will die in prison.
Letby was on duty, or had previously been on duty, for 12 of the 13 baby deaths that occurred at the Countess’ home between March 2015 and July 2016.
Last month, Dr. Stephen Brearey, the senior pediatrician in the Countess’s neonatal unit, told the public inquiry investigating her crimes that he believes she ‘probably’ murdered or assaulted more babies before killing her first victim. , a premature twin boy known as Baby A, in June 2015.
He said that, looking back, he now has suspicions about other deaths and collapses.
Dr. Rachel Lambie, who worked as a clerk to the Countess, also told the hearings before Lady Justice Thirlwall that about a fortnight before Baby A died a ‘very, very unusual event’ had occurred in the ward.
Although she did not go into details, the doctor confirmed that she has since made a statement to investigators about the incident. Dr. Dewi Evans, the prosecution’s former key witness at Letby’s original trial, previously told the Mail he is concerned about the deaths of at least three children and the collapses of as many as 15 others, including one who may have been poisoned with insulin . were not included in the original indictment.
Letby was convicted last year of seven charges of murder and seven of attempted murder – one child she tried to kill twice. She was subsequently found guilty of an eighth charge of attempted murder against another premature baby, following a retrial in July
He said he suspected Letby was experimenting with moving babies’ breathing tubes as a method of causing damage before she began injecting air into their bloodstreams, or into their stomachs through their nasogastric tubes in an attempt to kill.
“One thing we can be reasonably certain of is that Lucy Letby didn’t show up for work one day and decided to inject a baby with air into the bloodstream,” Dr Evans said. “I think the modus operandi evolved over time and I think moving the tubes before the air embolism was probably something she did.”
The study found that babies’ breathing tubes became loose during 40 percent of shifts. Letby worked at Liverpool Women’s Hospital between October and December 2012, and January and February 2015.
According to the BBC, babies suffered potentially life-threatening incidents during almost a third of the 33 shifts she worked during her training at the Liverpool Trust.
In one case, from November 2012, a little boy in Letby’s care collapsed and water was later discovered in his breathing tube, which experts say is highly irregular.
It is understood that Letby was not formally arrested and voluntarily agreed to participate in the recent interview.
The news comes after more than fifty specialists including neonatologists, anaesthetists, pathologists, biochemists, toxicologists, statisticians, former senior NHS managers and retired police officers gathered at a central London location this weekend to highlight shortcomings in the case against to discuss her.