Shocking Rumors of Lucy Letby’s Love Life Exposed During Hospital Inquiry
Scandalous rumors surrounding the personal life of convicted nurse Lucy Letby circulated widely in the neonatal unit where she worked, a public inquiry has revealed. Testimony at the Thirlwall Inquiry, which is investigating the events surrounding Letby’s crimes, highlighted the persistent speculation that emerged after she was removed from her duties at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal ward in July 2016. Letby, who was ultimately convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder seven others, faced multiple rumors, including allegations that she had rejected the romantic advances of a consultant who reportedly “made it clear he had an interest in her.”
The inquiry heard that Letby was redeployed to a clerical role after all seven paediatric consultants in the unit raised concerns with hospital management, fearing she was intentionally harming infants. Letby disputed her removal, filing a grievance against the health trust, which later concluded there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing at the time. Although Letby never returned to her role in neonatal care, she remained on the hospital payroll until her arrest in July 2018, more than a year after Cheshire Police began investigating, told the Mirror.
Annette Weatherley, the independent chairwoman of Letby’s 2016 grievance hearing, later informed Cheshire Police that she had initially felt Letby was being unfairly targeted. “The consultants are doing their own kind of investigation…whether they liked or disliked her, there were lots of rumors around. They decided it was her, she was the baby killer. They were openly talking about her as the baby killer,” Weatherley said.
Weatherley also shared details of the rumor that a consultant had expressed interest in Letby and that she had rebuffed his advances. “I can’t remember who said it but there was a rumor… a consultant had made it clear he had an interest in her and she had rebuffed it,” she explained. When asked for clarification by an officer, Weatherley confirmed, “Yes, physically,” indicating that the advances were of a romantic nature.
The inquiry has previously heard that Letby denied any such advances from consultants, including neonatal clinical lead Dr. Stephen Brearey and children’s services lead Dr. Ravi Jayaram. Karen Rees, the former head of nursing in urgent care, had asked Letby if either consultant had made a pass at her, to which Letby responded, “absolutely not.”
Letby, now 34, is serving 15 whole-life sentences after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court. Her sentencing follows her crimes between June 2015 and June 2016, during which she took the lives of seven infants and attempted to kill seven others. The inquiry, set to run until early 2025, aims to uncover more details about Letby’s time at the hospital, with its findings expected in late autumn 2025.