Nurse Lucy Letby to 'appeal murder convictions' after killing seven babies
Serial child killer nurse Lucy Letby has formally lodged a bid to appeal her conviction.
Letby, 33, was sentenced to a whole life order after being convicted of murdering seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016.
However, the jury in her trial at Manchester Crown Court was unable to reach verdicts on six counts of attempted murder in relation to five children, as they gave their decision in August.
The Crown Prosecution Service will decide whether it wants to carry out a retrial at a hearing, scheduled to take place on Monday 25 September.
The Judicial Office said it had received an application from her legal team.
A spokesperson said: "I can confirm that an application for leave to appeal against conviction has been received in the case of Lucy Letby."
Letby, from Hereford, denied all the offences and refused to attend a number of hearings where the jury delivered its verdict as well as her sentencing.
She was cleared of two counts of attempted murder.
The jury of seven women and four men could not reach verdicts on allegations that Letby attempted to murder three baby girls, Child H, Child J and Child K.
They also could not reach verdicts over two counts of attempted murder against Child N, a baby boy, and an allegation she tried to murder another male infant, Child Q.
Letby was found guilty of one count of attempted murder against Child N.
An independent inquiry will be carried out into the killer nurse's crimes, led by one of the country's most senior judges, Lady Justice Thirlwall.
The inquiry will have legal powers to compel witnesses, including former and current staff of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, where Letby worked and killed, to provide evidence.
Typically, applications for permission to appeal against a crown court decision are considered by a judge without a hearing.
If this is refused, people have the right to renew their bid for permission at a full court hearing before two or three judges.
As Letby becomes the most prolific serial child killer in modern Britain, we look at how she managed to slip under the radar for so long, carrying out her attacks unchallenged for a year in the latest episode of From the North