Lucy Leby: Judges delay judgement on appeal request

The 34-year-old was given a rare whole-life prison order last year, after a jury found her guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others while working as a neonatal nurse at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.

Represented by Benjamin Myers KC, Letby was in court this week requesting leave to appeal. This right gives a person the ability to appeal their convictions; being granted leave to pursue the appeal is not, itself, the appeal being granted.

The panel of three appeal judges - Lady Justice Sharp, Lord Justice Holroyde and Lady Justice Lambert – have said they will reserve judgement on the case.

A reserved judgment means a decision will be issued in writing at a later date. The expected date of the decision is unknown to Nursing Times.

Detail of the arguments put forward by Mr Myers, and by prosecutor Nick Johnson KC, to the Court of Appeal’s panel of three judges cannot be reported due to legal restrictions surrounding Letby’s upcoming retrial on one count of attempted murder, which will take place in June.

However, Dame Victoria Sharp, of the panel, told media present at the hearing that it can be reported that Letby put forward four grounds for appeal which in part involve a claim the judge wrongly refused applications made by her legal team during the trial.