Family of Child K issue heartbreaking statement after Lucy Letby convicted of attempted murder

The distraught parents of a baby girl who died days after Lucy Letby allegedly tampered with her breathing tube say they are 'heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb' after the nurse was found guilty of trying to kill their two-hour-old daughter.

The 34-year-old former neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital was today (July 2) found guilty of trying to kill the premature baby girl, known as Child K, on the same hospital ward where she murdered seven other infants.

Letby, of Hereford, faced a three-week retrial at Manchester Crown Court on the single count of attempted murder, which she denied, after the jury in her original trial was unable to reach a verdict last year.

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Today jurors unanimously found her guilty of the offence after three-and-a-half hours of deliberations. Letby, who is currently serving 14 whole life orders, will be sentenced on Friday (July 5).

Following the verdict Andrea Price, a detective inspector of Cheshire Constabulary, read out a statement on behalf of Child K’s family outside court, which said: “Today, justice has been served and a nurse who should have been caring for our daughter has been found guilty of harming her. But this justice will not take away the extreme hurt, anger and distress that we have all had to experience.

“It also does not provide us with an explanation as to why these crimes have taken place. We are heartbroken, devastated, angry and feel numb. We may never truly know why this happened.”

In the statement, the family said they had been through “a long, torturous and emotional journey, twice".They said: “From losing our precious new-born and grieving her loss, to being told years later that her death or collapse might be suspicious. Nothing can prepare you for that news.”

The family added: “Words cannot effectively explain how we are feeling at this moment in time. To lose a baby is a heart-breaking experience that no parent should ever have to go through.

“But to lose a baby and then learn of the harm that was inflicted under these circumstances is unimaginable.”

The family said words ‘cannot express’ their gratitude to the jury, adding that they will be "forever grateful’ for their ‘patience and resilience’.

They also thanked the team of family liaison officers, the medical experts, consultants, doctors and nursing staff that gave evidence, and the investigation and prosecution teams.

“The search for the truth has remained at the forefront of everyone’s minds and we will forever be grateful for this,” they said.

“We would now ask for time in peace to process what has happened as we come to terms with today’s verdict.”