The trial is over, the verdicts are in and yet the fundamental question remains unanswered: who is Lucy Letby and why did she commit such heinous crimes? It’s a question I’ve been wrestling with since I started covering the story in 2018, when Letby was first arrested.
From the first time I saw her at Warrington Magistrates’ Court, I struggled to tally the woman on the screen with the horror of the charges. I thought a clearer picture would come into focus at the trial. But as it neared and proceedings moved to Manchester, it became clear that there would not be enough seats in the courtroom for all the reporters who wanted to attend. An overspill annex was arranged in another building, but I was keen to be in the courtroom itself. I put my name down for one of the five media seats available. By the end of the trial, when Letby was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others, I realised I’d had a seat at the ringside of
