7 days ago
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Lucy Letby celebrated friend's wedding while on bail amid baby murder investigation
Lucy Letby celebrated friend's wedding while on bail amid baby murder investigation
Letby was seen laughing and dancing at a pal's wedding while she was on police bail following her initial arrest
The new ITV documentary titled 'Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?', sees an old school friend of Lucy discussing how the nurse made it to her wedding while out on bail.
(Image: ITV)
A former schoolmate of Lucy Letby has made a startling disclosure after revealing photos of the convicted baby murderer attending her wedding while on police bail. The nurse was initially apprehended in July 2018 under suspicion of killing eight infants and was formally charged in November 2020. She was later convicted in two separate trials for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of seven others. Read everything you need to know about the case.
Dawn Howe, who attended Aylestone Secondary School in Hereford with Letby, unearthed a collection of photographs during the new ITV documentary titled 'Lucy Letby: Beyond Reasonable Doubt?'
Some of the images depict Letby grinning and dancing at Dawn's nuptials, which occurred amidst Cheshire Police's inquiry into whether the neonatal nurse from Countess of Chester Hospital was potentially the UK's most notorious child murderer. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter .
In the documentary, Dawn remarked: "Definitely got some holiday snaps, birthdays, holidays I've forgotten we even had. The wedding photos are definitely my favourite."
Lucy and Dawn were old school friends
(Image: ITV)
With a chuckle, she continued: "There is Lucy at my wedding. I am just so glad she could be there because it was while she was on bail, she had to get special permission to be allowed to come from the police."
One striking photo captures Letby, clad in a red blouse and grey skirt, smiling as others around her applaud on the dance floor.
Another snapshot features a newlywed Dawn strolling by Letby, who joyously tosses confetti into the air.
Lucy had to get special permission from the police to attend Dawn's wedding.
(Image: ITV)
Dawn and Lucy, who met during their teenage years, reminisced over wedding photographs with Dawn remarking: "Shortly after this she was held in custody so... I don't think Lucy has seen these."
Reflecting on the shock of her friend's arrest around her wedding time, Dawn said: "I watched it all unfold every step of the way. I just couldn't believe it. It was beyond belief that this could be happening."
The programme later shows Dawn again, this time driving to the school where she and Letby spent much of their youth.
Within their circle, Dawn noted that Lucy was the only one with a definitive career ambition, recalling how during her A-levels, she aspired to "be a nurse and deal with really poorly babies".
On camera, Dawn expressed her disbelief about the allegations, saying: "We were here and then university and then a few years after university is when she is supposed to have gone off on this killing spree.."
Since September the Thirlwall Inquiry has been examining how the former neonatal nurse was able to murder or attack 14 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
(Image: PA)
When the guilty verdict for Letby came through in August 2023, Dawn was at work and recounted feeling "dumbfounded" upon hearing the news.
Her first thoughts turned to what would happen to Letby, as she said: "She can't just spend the rest of her life in prison."
Despite losing two appeals against her convictions last year, Letby's legal team, headed by barrister Mark McDonald, presented new evidence from international experts to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in April, seeking to overturn her convictions.
Dawn remained a steadfast supporter of Letby throughout the trial and continues her support, yet she confessed to feeling guilty for enjoying freedom while her friend faces 15 whole-life sentences.
She reflected: "I am living a life Lucy should be living beside me in parallel. We should both be having families and we both bought our houses and we were looking forward to the next chapter of our lives and then all this happened.
"It is just... there is so much guilt that I am sort of living a life that Lucy should also be living."
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When approached about the allegations mentioned in this narrative, Cheshire Police opted not to provide a statement.
