'Something out of a horror story': Parents of Letby's victims reveal their heartbreak in court

The mother of a baby murdered by Lucy Letby said her experience in hospital was “like something out of a horror story” as the parents of newborns attacked by the killer nurse revealed their heartbreak in court.

The mother of premature baby Child D said her child’s funeral was held the day before her due date, and the newborn’s organs could not be donated because a post-mortem had to be performed.

Another woman whose two children E and F were attacked by Letby said they were born after painful rounds of IVF. “No children in the world were more wanted than them,” she added.

Letby is due to be sentenced later after she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

‘Sadistic’ Letby refusing to leave cells – follow live sentencing updates

‘His murderer was watching us’

The mother of a baby referred to as Child C to protect his identity says she blamed herself for his death, saying she thought to herself: “What if I had not gone to bed that night? Maybe he would still be here.”

She told the court: “The trauma of that night will live with us all until the day we die. Knowing now his murderer was watching us… was like something out of a horror story.”

The mother of Child C also said she would open his memory box in the days after her son’s death, wearing his footprints around her neck to feel close to him.

But she added that after Letby’s arrest the mementoes felt “tainted”.

However she is now able to wear the mementoes again for the first time in five years, telling the court: “I know they represent the love I have for my son and I will not allow evil to take that. They represent justice and the truth.”

Though their real names have been used in court, all children involved in the trial against Lucy Letby have been granted anonymity through a strict reporting restriction.

The order, imposed by a judge, also bans any reporting of the names of the babies’ parents, to protect their identities.

It means the babies have been referred to as children A to Q throughout.

‘We hope you spend every day suffering’

A twin boy and girl, Child A and Child B respectively, were targeted by Letby in 2015.

The boy died while his sister survived.

The mother of the babies told the court: “What should have been the happiest time of our lives became our worst nightmare.”

She added that after her son died the family made sure there was always somebody by their daughter’s side.

“We are so thankful that we had that fear for Child B as it saved her life,” the mother added.

In a message directed at Letby, who has refused to attend her sentencing, the mother continued: “Little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack the one thing that gave us reason to live.”

She says there will always be a “gaping hole” where their son should be.

“We hope you live a very long life and spend every single day suffering for what you have done.”

Mother’s heart ‘shattered into a thousand pieces’

The mother of premature baby girl Child D was emotional as she said Letby’s “wicked sense of entitlement and abuse of her role as a trusted nurse is truly a scandal”.

“Lucy Letby, you failed God and the plans we had for (Child D).”

She added that her heart “shattered into a thousand pieces” when her daughter died.

She says she questioned if she had done something wrong, missed something or “failed her daughter”.

The mother then described how she has struggled with “grief and depression” during her fight for justice.

“My marriage is also scarred by all the hurdles we went through. At first, we were each other’s rocks… it has been hard to keep strong together.”

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