The ex-neonatal nurse, sentenced to 14 whole-life prison terms, was found guilty on Tuesday in a retrial at Manchester Crown Court for attempting to murder an "extremely premature" baby.
Baby K, born 15 weeks early and weighing just 692g (1.52lbs), experienced a "life-threatening" decline after Letby allegedly interfered with her breathing tube.
Letby underwent a three-week retrial for the single charge of attempted murder, which she had denied. The jury in her initial trial last year could not come to a decision.
Now 34 years old and from Hereford, Letby has been found guilty of killing seven babies and trying to kill seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital from June 2015 to June 2016.
Police investigations are ongoing, and there is a public inquiry into how Letby remained on the neonatal unit despite concerns raised by senior doctors.
Letby, who has consistently claimed she is innocent, was denied permission in May to appeal last year's convictions by the Court of Appeal. The court is expected to publish its detailed ruling soon.
The focus of the nurse's recent trial was on Baby K, born at the Countess of Chester Hospital on February 17, 2016, and who passed away three days later at a different hospital. Letby was not accused of causing her death.
Letby showed no visible reaction in the courtroom when the jury unanimously delivered their verdict. Baby K's father held his head in his hands while the child's family wept in the public gallery.
Letby was informed that she would receive her sentence on Friday.
Nick Johnson KC, the prosecutor, informed the jury that Letby allegedly tried to kill the infant approximately 90 minutes after her birth. He claimed Letby moved the baby's breathing tube shortly after the nurse attending to her had left, leading to a dangerous drop in the child's blood oxygen levels.
At that point, Letby had already killed five babies and tried to kill three others. Despite senior doctors connecting her to several unexplained incidents, she continued working on the neonatal unit for an additional five months. During this time, she fatally injected air into the stomachs of two triplet brothers.
The prosecution stated that Letby was "caught almost in the act" of attempting to kill Baby K. A senior doctor discovered her alone next to the infant's incubator after she had manipulated the baby's breathing tube.
According to consultant Dr. Ravi Jayaram, Letby made no effort to assist the child as she struggled for survival. The court was informed that an alarm on the baby's monitor seemed to have been intentionally muted.
Prosecutors alleged that the nurse manipulated Baby K's breathing tube two additional times in the subsequent hours. This was reportedly an attempt to mislead her colleagues into believing that the newborn, who was sedated with morphine, had dislodged the tube on her own.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans from Cheshire Constabulary commended the "bravery, fortitude, and perseverance" of Baby K's parents, who endured Letby's persistent denials throughout two trials.
She also said, "A trained nurse entrusted with the care and protection of a vulnerable premature baby betrayed that trust in an unimaginable manner. The persistent denials have deeply distressed Baby K's family, who had to endure both a trial and a retrial. No one should have to endure the ordeal they went through."
Nicola Wyn Williams, a senior prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, characterized Letby's actions as those of a "calculated and deliberate murderer."
She also stated, "Lucy Letby has consistently denied attempting to kill this baby or any of the babies she was found guilty of murdering or attempting to murder. The jury carefully considered all the evidence, including Letby's own defense, and reached its conclusion.
"Staff at the unit had to confront the disturbing possibility that one of their colleagues was intentionally harming and causing the deaths of babies under their care."
During her testimony, Letby asserted that she had never harmed any babies and maintained her innocence regarding the charges she had been convicted of.
During her testimony, the defendant informed the jurors that she could not recall the specific night in question and had no recollection of Baby K beyond knowing the baby was born prematurely. She could not provide an explanation for why she had searched for the child's family on Facebook more than two years later.
Investigators are reviewing the records of approximately 4,000 babies who were under Letby's care during her tenure as a children's nurse at Liverpool Women's Hospital and the Countess of Chester Hospital, both located in northwest England.
Cheshire Constabulary has initiated an investigation into potential corporate manslaughter and is scrutinizing the decisions made by senior leadership during the time of the deaths.
In September, a public inquiry led by Lady Justice Kathryn Thirlwall will commence to investigate how Letby was allowed to remain in her role caring for babies, despite concerns raised by senior doctors linking her to several suspicious incidents.
Dr. Nigel Scawn, the medical director of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, expressed condolences, stating, "Our thoughts are with Baby K's family and loved ones. We deeply regret that these terrible crimes occurred at our hospital."
Scawn mentioned that the hospital has implemented substantial changes to its services since Letby's employment and emphasized their commitment to fully and transparently assisting the ongoing legal proceedings.
He further stated, "We recognize the ongoing impact this case has on all those involved and reaffirm our dedication to supporting families in obtaining the answers they seek."
SOURCE: The Guardian