“It is grossly offensive to victims that this brutal murderer can refuse to face the consequences of their crimes in court'
Lucy Letby “must attend court for her sentencing”, a senior Labour politician has demanded. The former neonatal nurse, at the Countess of Chester Hospital, who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, has threatened not to attend her sentencing hearing tomorrow.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court found Letby guilty of seven counts of murder and six counts of attempted murder on Friday. Letby was also found not guilty of two further counts of attempted murder. The 33-year-old killed the defenceless infants as she worked at the hospital's neonatal unit in Chester. Prosecutors alleged she was a 'constant malevolent' presence at all the deaths and collapses between June 2015 and June 2016.
The former neonatal nurse has said through her solicitors she won’t be in court for sentencing on Monday. In June, Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk told the Commons he was committed to bringing forward legislation to compel offenders to be in court for their sentencing hearing. However he failed to give a timeframe on when this will happen despite his predecessor Dominic Raab making the promise in February.
Speaking after Letby’s guilty verdict, Mr Reed said: “It is grossly offensive to victims that this brutal murderer can refuse to face the consequences of their crimes in court. Let me be clear: she must attend court for her sentencing. If the defendant doesn't come and face justice, it’s beyond cowardly, and will have a devastating impact on the families. This is a vital part of seeing justice done.
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