Lucy Letby hospital investigation: three bosses arrested on suspicion of manslaughter
The three, who have not been named, were arrested on Monday as part of the investigation into the actions of leaders at the Countess of Chester hospital in north-west England.
Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole-life prison terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others in the year to June 2016.
The former neonatal nurse is seeking to overturn her convictions at the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) having lost two legal challenges at the court of appeal.
Det Supt Paul Hughes of Cheshire constabulary said on Tuesday: 'In October 2023 following the lengthy trial and subsequent conviction of Lucy Letby, Cheshire constabulary launched an investigation into corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester hospital.
'This focuses on senior leadership and their decision making to determine whether any criminality has taken place concerning the response to the increased levels of fatalities.
'In March 2025 the scope of the investigation widened to also include gross negligence manslaughter.
'This is a separate offence to corporate manslaughter and focuses on the grossly negligent action or inaction of individuals.
'It is important to note that this does not impact on the convictions of Lucy Letby for multiple offences of murder and attempted murder.'
He added: 'As part of our ongoing enquiries, on Monday 30th June three individuals who were part of the senior leadership team at the CoCH in 2015-16, were arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
'All three have subsequently been bailed pending further enquiries.'
The arrests are the first in the case since Letby was originally arrested in July 2018. The university graduate, originally from Hereford, has been in custody since November 2020.
Police have faced mounting questions about Letby's convictions after an international panel of experts announced in February that they had found no evidence of criminality against her after reviewing medical records and other documents.
Mark McDonald, the barrister now representing Letby, handed two large dossiers of new expert reviews to the CCRC earlier this year.
But on Tuesday Cheshire constabulary said its criminal investigation into the former nurse, hospital bosses, and the hospital itself would continue.
Hughes said: 'Both the corporate manslaughter and gross negligence manslaughter elements of the investigation are continuing and there are no set timescales for these.
'Our investigation into the deaths and non-fatal collapses of babies at the neo-natal units of both the Countess of Chester hospital and the Liverpool women's hospital between the period of 2012 to 2016 is also ongoing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
4 minutes ago
- BBC News
'We faced the Southport killer shoulder to shoulder'
Warning: This article contains distressing and upsetting details."The only thing any of us knew when we turned up was that there was a child on the floor on Hart Street who had been stabbed and the offender was in the building."Nothing could have prepared Sgt Greg Gillespie for the events of 29 July 2024, which claimed the lives of three young to reports of a stabbing at a dance studio in Southport, he arrived to an unfolding scene of horror."I remember people in the road waving me down," he said."I just could see the look of fear and terror in the faces of the people there and then getting out of the car and hearing them screaming and shouting."Sgt Gillespie said he saw a little girl, whom he thought was dead. She managed to survive, despite being stabbed more than 30 times. "I don't think there's any amount of training or experience that can quite prepare you to deal with something like that or to process it," he added. PC Luke Holden, who arrived shortly after with PCSO Timothy Parry, said he remembered hearing his colleague's words on his radio."The way he spoke, confirming the address and the scene he faced... I could just hear sort of terror in Greg's voice," he Gillespie said he decided in a moment that they had to deal with whatever was happening in the building."We just knew the right thing was that we couldn't wait for armed response back-up," he said."We didn't know where they were [but] it was that urgent."Everyone now knows the sequence of events that occurred that day - that wasn't known to us at the time."He said all they knew was that a child had been stabbed and "the offender was in the building". PC Holden vividly remembers what happened next."Greg looked at me and said 'are you ready?'"He said he replied with a simple "yeah" and then the pair went "shoulder to shoulder" into the building. 'Unfathomable' Almost immediately, they were face-to-face with 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana who, unbeknown to the officers, had walked into the studio and attacked the children who had been enjoying a school holiday Taylor Swift-themed workshop."He was showing us the knife, holding it out in front of us, blood-stained," Sgt Gillespie said."It was almost like he was saying, 'I've got a knife, what are you going to do?'" Sgt Gillespie said the youth's attitude seemed to change, as if when he saw that the officers "weren't scared of him, he didn't want to know"."It would be quite hard to paint him as more of a coward than he already is, but I think that says a lot for me," Sgt Gillespie added. Alice Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, were killed in the attack, while eight other children and two adults were seriously 17-year-old responsible for those deaths and injuries was sentenced to life with a minimum of 52 years for the killings in January. The horrors of the day have inevitably left an indelible mark on the town, but its residents have united together, determined not to let the atrocity define their Gillespie said he had been heartened by that response."The community has come together mostly as a result of the actions of the parents of the victims who've been nothing short of inspirational," he said."As a father, the thought of something like that happening to a child and then having to get up the next morning and try to proceed with your life is unfathomable."But the three sets of parents have not only done that… they've continued the legacy of their daughters' names and they brought the community together." All three officers were recognised at the Police Federation of England and Wales 2025 bravery awards for their actions on the said the attack had changed them."It affects you in ways that you don't imagine," PC Holden said."My hyper-vigilance increased 1,000% and I was wary of everyone in every situation."You start thinking worst case of every situation you deal with."PCSO Parry said it was "quite difficult" to return to normal life, adding that trying to do activities with his own child, and seeing others of a similar age to the victims, had been "hard for me for quite some time". "Obviously, it's nothing compared to what the families involved had to go through and things, but it was a bit of a challenge."Sgt Gillespie said the events of 29 July last year had been "the toughest experience of my life, never mind my career". But, he added, compared with the families of the children killed and injured, "our pain and suffering is the tiniest drop in the largest ocean compared to theirs". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Daily Mail
4 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Taunted to the tune of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, Epping's mums refused to back down: RONAN O'REILLY
Blink and you'd have nearly missed them. It was just after 4pm when the rent-a-crowd from Stand Up To Racism descended on The Bell Hotel on the edge of Epping. They were on their way home again within three-quarters of hour. Cynical observers might suggest that many of them had long journeys and they didn't want to get home too late. They were there, of course, to stage a counter-protest against the latest demonstration by local people over the hotel being used to house migrants. The controversy has been growing since Ethiopian asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl eight days after arriving in the UK. Kebatu, 38, who had been staying at the hotel, denies all three charges he faces. Police shepherded around 500 of the Left-wing protesters into a field by the hotel after stressing earlier that they had a 'really robust plan' to deal with trouble. Their warning came after hard-Right activist Tommy Robinson indicated last week he planned to attend and would be 'bringing thousands more with me' – before apparently changing his mind. Credit where it is due, the Stand Up To Racism mob certainly succeeded in making themselves heard. There may be question marks over their commitment, but there was nothing wrong with their vocal cords or lung capacity. To the tune of Middle Of The Road's 1970 hit Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep, they taunted the opposing crowd over Robinson's no-show with goading chants of 'Where's your Tommy gone?' There were some more predictable choruses of 'Say it loud, Say it clear, Asylum seekers welcome here' and placards with slogans such as 'Unite against the Far Right', 'No to Racism, No to Hatred'. There was also an exchange of abuse with the anti-hotel side, who were stationed only a few yards away. And then they departed in a sea of banners and flags, including - almost inevitably – a smattering in the Palestinian colours. Last week, the Mail revealed that the protests against the decision to requisition The Bell Hotel for migrants were spear-headed not by hard-Right activists but a group of local mothers, spurred into action by the perceived threat to their daughters. 'I think women are naturally more tolerant – we have got to put up with men after all – but when you start to threaten our children, then we snap,' said Orla Minihane, a mother of three teenagers who has become a vocal council candidate for the Reform Party. Yesterday, before the arrival of the Stand Up To Racism protesters, police had kept a discreet presence at the rail station. By 1pm, however, officers in riot gear were in position five yards apart outside The Bell. Behind them, the hotel itself was surrounded by 8ft security barriers. Reinforcements had been drafted in from forces across Britain, including Cheshire, Lancashire, Leicester and Wales as well as both the Met and City of London Police, to assist Essex Police. Officers had banned face coverings to root out troublemakers. Across the High Road, residents demanding the hotel's closure were gathering, some draped in Union Jacks, others waving St George's Crosses. Placards were emblazoned with slogans such as 'Protect our Kids', 'Defend our girls, deport foreign criminals' and 'Make Britain Great'. Judging by people I spoke to, most of the crowd, which was pretty evenly split by age and gender, were either part of the immediate community or from nearby areas. Local hairdresser Kelly Hill said: 'This isn't fair. The Government has to be held to account. We have rights as well.' Stan Booth said: 'I have sympathy for people who are genuinely seeking asylum or have had to flee their own countries for legitimate reasons. But it is unreal what we have here. Nobody knows who they are, where they've come from or what they have done.' The migrants were also stuck behind security barriers, prompting one protester to put up homemade 'prisoner of war' signs on the bars. Someone else lightened the mood at one point by playing the theme music from The Great Escape over a sound system. Meanwhile, cheers rang out as excerpts from historical speeches were played. They included Winston Churchill's famous wartime address to the House of Commons on June 4, 1940, when he declared: 'We shall never surrender.' There were cheers, too, when a clip was played of Margaret Thatcher in Parliament, warning of 'international chaos' if we 'get to a situation where illegal immigrants cannot be returned to their country of origin'. Yet despite the occasional moments of levity, the atmosphere among the protesters was one of grim determination. One of the organisers, 40-year-old Sarah White, said: 'This is about sending a clear message that we don't want a hotel in our town housing undocumented men. 'It needs closing down. No area should have them.' Rose Thomas, from Basildon, said: 'There's already a strong message. We don't want hotels full of men from foreign countries.' Nor were the protesters without the backing of fellow locals. Over the course of several hours, practically every third or fourth driver tooted their car horn in support. It is difficult to see the residents of this quintessentially English town giving up their fight soon.
The Sun
4 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tasers to be used in prisons for the first time in bid to tackle violence from inmates
TASERS can be used in prisons for the first time from today under a trial to stamp out violence. The National Tactical Response Group, an elite squad of officers, are now free to use the stun devices in dangerous situations such as hostage-taking and riots. 2 Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood hinted the Tasers could be rolled out to local teams if the pilot works. She told The Sun: ' Violence in our prisons has been far too high for far too long. 'I inherited a situation with completely unacceptable levels of violence. 'All of my early conversations with staff and staff representatives have been about prison officer safety.' There were a record 10,605 assaults on jail staff last year, up 15 per cent in a year. Ms Mahmood added: 'I'm not willing to tolerate that.' Prison officers are also getting new protective body armour. And ramping up the number of full lockdown searches in high-security jails to stop contraband getting through. A £40 million package was announced last month to boost security - including £10 million for anti-drone measures like netting and reinforced windows. Southport fiend Axel Rudakubana hurled scalding water over prison guard in 'terrifying' attack putting victim in hospital 2
