Child murderer Lucy Letby loses appeal against her conviction

Serial killer Lucy Letby has dropped out of court in an attempt to appeal her convictions for murder and attempted murder.

At a hearing last month, Letby's lawyers asked the top judges for the green light to appeal all of her convictions.

In August 2023, Letby, from Hereford, was convicted of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

At a brief hearing on Friday, Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting alongside Lord Justice Holroyde, said they had rejected Letby's application.

Since the judges did not accept the claim, this ruling marks the end of the appeal process for Letby.

The full details of Letby's appeal, which was based on four points, cannot be disclosed at this time for legal reasons. The full reasons for the judges' decision to reject her appeal have not been made public.

The jury in Letby's trial at Manchester Crown Court was unable to reach a verdict on six counts of attempted murder of five children.

She will face a retrial in the same court in June. She is accused of the sole charge of attempting to murder a little girl, known as Child K, in February 2016.

The identities of the surviving and killed children and their families cannot be disclosed.