London [UK], August 22: A British former nurse will spend the rest of her life in jail for her "cruel, calculated and cynical campaign" of murder and attempted murder of babies at the hospital where she worked.
Lucy Letby, the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history, was told by judge Justice Goss there was a "malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions" for which "you have no remorse".
The 33-year-old was convicted by a jury of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more while working in the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit between 2015 and 2016. The judge handed her a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, making her only the fourth woman in UK history to be told she will never be released from prison.
Addressing the nurse, who refused to appear in court, he said: "You acted in a way that was completely contrary to the normal human instincts of nurturing and caring for babies and in gross breach of the trust that all citizens place in those who work in the medical and caring professions.
"The babies you harmed were born prematurely and some were at risk of not surviving but in each case you deliberately harmed them, intending to kill them." He went on: "By their nature and number such murders and attempted murder by a neonatal nurse entrusted to care for them is a case of very exceptional circumstances.
"This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder." He added: "There was a malevolence bordering on sadism in your actions.
"During the course of this trial you have coldly denied any responsibility for your wrongdoing. You have no remorse. There are no mitigating factors." Sentencing her to a whole-life order for each offence, he said: "You will spend the rest of your life in prison."
The other women to be told they would spend the rest of their lives in prison are the girlfriend of Moors Murderer Ian Brady, Myra Hindley, who died in 2002, and serial killers Rose West and Joanna Dennehy.
Amid anger from the victims' families at her refusal to attend, the judge told Letby she would be provided with copies of his remarks and the personal statements of the parents.
Earlier, mothers and fathers addressed an empty dock as they told her "You are nothing" and "You are evil".
Source: Qatar Tribune