Inside killer nurse Lucy Letby's prison life - from 'jail makeover to private cell privileges'

Killer nurse Lucy Letby is serving a whole life order alongside some of the most dangerous criminals in the country. The child killer was yesterday (Tuesday, July 2) convicted of another newborn's attempted murder following a retrial at Manchester Crown Court.

A jury of six women and six men convicted the 34-year-old of attempting to kill a three-day-old baby girl - known only as Child K - in February 2016. She was last year convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others between 2015 and 2016.

Her unthinkable crimes took place while she was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Letby is reportedly behind bars at the privately-run HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, after spending time in HMP Low Newton, in Durham.

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According to sources, she has received certain 'privileges' which infuriated other inmates. It is believed she struck up a close friendship with two other dangerous female prisoners while on remand.

Letby - from Hereford - was blonde when she was arrested but she has allegedly overhauled her appearance while in prison, Mirror reports. According to The Sun, Letby was allowed to dye her hair and opted for brown.

It is thought that she is yet to get a prison job, living in a single cell where she has an ensuite shower, desk and television to herself. The private TV reportedly frustrated fellow prisoners.

A source told The Sun: "Letby seems happy as Larry. She is in a nice cell and on her own. The facilities at Bronzefield are much nicer than most jails, because it's privately run."

The source continued: "She is with prisoners who have earned more rights to watch TV, spend their cash and have visits. It is a disgrace and it's no wonder she's been looking so happy. She seems to be being treated with kid gloves because of who she is."

During Letby's first stint while on remand in Bronzefield, she reportedly grew close to prisoner Michelle Smith - who poisoned her own baby. Letby also became close to Shauna Hoare, who played a role in the tragic killing of schoolgirl Becky Watts in 2015.

The trio were described as 'inseparable' and allegedly spent 24 hours a day together. In October, a source told the Mirror: "They were together 24 hours a day - they were a well-known threesome and were literally never apart.

"They'd spend hours sitting on the wing landing playing board games, eating dinner together and tanning in the courtyard. I think they got on because they all believed they were innocent."

Sophie Campbell, a former inmate of Bronzefield, said her time at the women's prison was so disturbing that she was compelled to write a memoir about it called Breakfast At Bronzefield. She was convicted of GBH of a police officer.

Campbell said violence and bribery were commonplace within the jail. She said in 2020: "As well as same-sex relationships thriving in Bronzefield, some female prisoners were engaging in sexual favours with the officers to get drugs or food, and that was a real shock for me.

"It's so horrible how normalised it is, often gossiped and giggled about. Violence is everywhere. It puts you on edge. You have to be alert as a situation can escalate rapidly. That's why you learn to adopt a new code of conduct inside."

She also claimed to have seen a woman having boiling hot water thrown over her face, adding: "It rattles you. You know it could be you - say the wrong thing, or look at the wrong person and you could be burned and blistered and never offered medical treatment."

Another ex-Bronzefield prisoner Francesca Fattore - who was jailed for drug offences - recently opened up about her year-long stay. She was moved to a protected wing, where she was close to Malread Philpott - who was sentenced for manslaughter after deliberately setting fire to her home where her six kids were killed, but was released in 2020 under a new name after serving half of her 17-year sentence.

She also came across Joanna Dennehy, who was dubbed "Britain's most dangerous female prisoner" after killing three men. Dennehy received a whole life order.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Fattore spoke of the most haunting thing about being in the prison. She said: "The worst thing for me that stood out was the self-harming and the mental health in there for me.

"I hear the girls screaming all night long because they are mentally insane. It's not an act, it's not someone kicking off. They would scream from nine at night until six in the morning and you can't do that unless you are mentally ill.

"Seeing girls coming out having scratched all their own faces up and beating their own faces with flasks…"

When Letby was convicted in August, experts explained what life would be like for her behind bars. Letby is likely to have 'restricted status' for an inmate.

This is considered the female equivalent of a Category A prisoner - meaning she is the highest-risk threat to the public.Mark Leech, a prisons expert and editor of The Prison Oracle website told the Telegraph: "She'll be what's known as a 'restricted status' prisoner.

"She'll be on suicide watch and it will be some time before she gets to mingle with the main prison population - at least six months." Letby is expected to spend at least 22 hours a day inside her single cell.

It was previously suggested she would be encouraged by staff to be mentally stimulated to avoid extreme stress, anger, and frustration. She will be able to read newspapers, books, and watch TV.

For an hour a day, she will be able to exercise by walking the prison grounds. Professor Yvonne Jewkes, professor of criminology at the University of Bath, told the Telegraph that Letby will have a price on her head in prison.

She said: "At best, she'll be subjected to extreme bullying and intimidation. At worst, she might be in quite considerable physical danger.

"She'll associate mostly with prison officers, her key worker in the prison and one or two cleaners, but much of that interaction will be through the hatch in her cell door."

But the killer nurse will be able to speak to her family and receive visits. Visitors will be vetted by police.

A convicted prisoner is usually allowed at least two one-hour visits every four weeks. Letby will not be able to receive emails directly but she can get messages through the Email a Prisoner service.

These are printed out and delivered by prison staff, with each email costing 40p from Letby's prison cash card. There is no limit on the number of letters she can send and receive - but they are checked by prison staff.

Letby will only be able to speak to those named on her friends and family list, which needs to be checked by security. It is said to be 'extremely unlikely' that Letby will be granted privileges such as day release for important events.

This means she might not be able to attend the funerals of her parents Susan and Jonathan Letby, according to chartered security professional James Bore. Speaking to the Mirror, the director of family consultancy Bores said: "Any day release for parents' funerals, or anything else, would be based on a risk assessment.

"I find it extremely unlikely that any sort of temporary release would be granted - for her own safety as much as anything else."