Lucy Letby 'likely murdered or attacked more children'

Lucy Letby apt murdered oregon attacked much children than is presently known, a doc has told an inquiry.

The 34-year-old neonatal caregiver from Hereford is serving 15 whole-life orders aft she was convicted astatine Manchester Crown Court of murdering 7 babies and attempting to execution six others.

This twelvemonth she was also recovered blameworthy of attempting to execution different baby.

The crimes took spot betwixt June 2015 and June 2016 astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Giving grounds to the Thirlwall Inquiry, which is looking into the events surrounding her crimes, neonatal objective pb Dr Stephen Brearey said: "I deliberation it's apt that Letby didn't commencement becoming a slayer successful June 2015, oregon didn't commencement harming babies successful June 2015."

Representing the families of Letby's victims astatine the inquiry, Peter Skelton KC asked Dr Brearey: "Child A was murdered connected 8 June 2015. Is it your presumption that she [Letby] had murdered oregon assaulted children successful your infirmary anterior to that date?"

The doc replied: "I deliberation that's likely, yes."

He agreed that "on reflection" a fig of unexpected collapses and deaths anterior to June 2015 present "appear suspicious".

However, helium said that astatine the clip helium didn't person concerns astir those incidents, adding: "We conscionable thought we were going done a engaged oregon peculiarly hard patch."

Dr Brearey continued: "Our cognition of what is mean for a neonatal portion successful presumption of the fig of collapses you mightiness expect successful a week, a month, oregon a year, that changed."

Mr Skelton said: "One of the effects of normalising the abnormal is that erstwhile abnormalities hap you don't recognise it and you don't instrumentality due enactment - is that a reflection that resonates with you?"

Dr Brearey agreed.

'Not bully Lucy'

After 3 deaths successful June 2015, erstwhile Dr Brearey was told Letby was identified arsenic the 1 subordinate of unit contiguous connected each occasion, helium recalled his archetypal absorption was to say: "Oh no, not Lucy. Not bully Lucy."

Counsel to the enquiry Rachel Langdale KC asked: "Why 'oh no, not bully Lucy'? What was the constituent of the 'oh no', what was the nexus being made successful your mind?"

Dr Brearey said: "Well obviously, immoderate portion of my caput was reasoning the worst."

Ms Langdale asked: "What did your caput leap to?"

Dr Brearey replied: "The interest that determination mightiness beryllium idiosyncratic harming babies."

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'Set a fewer alarm bells going'

In July 2016, Letby was moved to clerical duties aft consultants, including Dr Brearey, raised their concerns with executives.

However, Cheshire Police were not called until May 2017 and determination had been plans soon earlier to instrumentality Letby to the unit.

Dr Brearey said that the decease of a babe girl, referred to during tribunal proceedings arsenic Baby I, was a "significant infinitesimal that raised my level of interest rather considerably".

The medic said the infant's decease had "set a fewer alarm bells going".

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The enquiry antecedently heard that the dislodgement of breathing tubes, which was however Letby tried to termination Child K, mostly occurs connected little than 1% of shifts.

However, it happened connected 40% of shifts that Letby worked erstwhile she was a trainee astatine Liverpool Women's Hospital.

Police are investigating Letby's clip here, betwixt October and December 2012, and January and February 2015.

The enquiry astatine Liverpool Town Hall is expected to beryllium until aboriginal 2025, with its findings published by precocious autumn adjacent year.