Lucy Letby: Inquests to open into deaths of five babies murdered by former nurse

February 2026 | UK News

Inquests into the deaths of five babies murdered by former nurse Lucy Letby are set to formally open today at Cheshire Coroner’s Court.

The proceedings relate to Babies C, E, I, O and P, who died at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016 while Letby was working on the neonatal unit. Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish is expected to open the hearings, then adjourn and suspend them until later this year.

Full inquests, if they proceed, have been provisionally scheduled for September, pending the publication of the Thirlwall Inquiry report. The inquiry is examining how Letby was able to carry out her crimes and is due to report after Easter.

Letby, now 36, is serving 15 whole-life sentences after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others between June 2015 and June 2016.

Previous inquests include one into Baby A in October 2016, which concluded that the cause of death could not be determined, and an inquest into Baby D, opened in January 2016 but later suspended when criminal proceedings began.

Last month, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed that Letby will not face further criminal charges in relation to additional allegations involving two deaths and seven non-fatal collapses, stating the evidential threshold had not been met.

Despite maintaining her innocence, Letby has lost two appeals against her convictions. Supporters continue to campaign on her behalf and have submitted material to the Criminal Cases Review Commission seeking a review of the case.