Former head of nursing at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Karen Rees, told Lucy Letby she was being moved off the neonatal ward in summer 2016 after she was linked to a series of infant deaths
A former hospital boss who once worked with Lucy Letby has said she thinks the convicted serial killer is innocent.
Former neonatal nurse Letby, 35, is serving 15 whole life orders after she was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others at the NHS Countess of Chester Hospital. The hospital’s former head of nursing, Karen Rees, had only joined a few months earlier when she told Letby that she was being removed from the neonatal ward in summer 2016.
The decision came after concerns had been raised by colleagues over the deaths of infants in her care. In new comments, Ms Rees – who later became friends with Letby and believes she is innocent despite her convictions – has claimed that the nurse was “emotional” as she broke the news to her, and felt betrayed by her colleagues.
Ms Rees went on to offer Letby support through weekly meetings, and claims she seemed deeply distressed by the accusations against her. She told The Times: “People say she’s not emotional. Trust me, she is emotional. I know that they say psychopaths are clever. But if she was acting she deserves an Oscar because she was so convincing.” She added that Letby “was really hurt when she was told about the consultants’ allegations”, because she thought of them as friends, and “could not understand why they were doing this to her”.
She also said she and other colleagues later formed a WhatsApp group to support Letby over fears she might be suicidal. Ms Rees retired from the profession in March 2018, four months before Letby was arrested. She says she “believed Lucy when she told me she had done nothing wrong” and has attempted to visit her in prison, though Letby has not accepted.
In August 2023, Lucy Letby was found guilty of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others. A retrial held last July then found the former nurse guilty of a seventh attempted murder charge, resulting in a 15th whole life order. Scribbled notes found at Letby’s home were a major breakthrough in the case and were presented by the prosecution as a confession. These included phrases such as ‘I am evil I did this’ and ‘I killed them on purpose because I am not good enough to care for them and I am a horrible evil person’.
Earlier this month, a neonatal doctor speaking at a press conference in London chaired by former Brexit secretary Davis Davis stated that he did not believe that Letby murdered the children. He presented what he described as a “impartial evidence-based report” by a team of 14 neonatologists and paediatric specialists, which claimed that the seven babies she murdered died by either natural causes or poor care by the neonatal department.
Dr Shoo Lee concluded the 70-minute press conference by saying: “In summary then, ladies and gentlemen, we did not find murders. In all cases, death or injury were due to natural causes or just bad medical care. Lucy was charged with seven murders and seven attempted murders. In our opinion, the medical opinion, the medical evidence doesn’t support murder in any of these cases, just natural causes and bad medical care.”
Lawyers for Letby applied the same week to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to have her case investigated as a potential miscarriage of justice. The CCRC said it had received the application but had not yet made a decision. Downing Street has declined to comment. Asked whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer thought she was guilty, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “This was a truly horrendous case that shocked the nation. A criminal trial has taken place and Lucy Letby was found guilty.
“There is, of course, an established process through the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which is independent of Government, and the commission has today confirmed they have received an application from Ms Letby’s legal team. We wouldn’t get drawn on that independent process.”
