CONVICTED baby killer Lucy Letby’s notes declaring “I killed them on purpose” may actually suggest innocence, an expert claims.
Emma Kenny, a psychopath expert, said that “unfiltered” handwritten notes are a normal way for traumatised people to cope with their thoughts.
coch.nhsConvicted baby killer Lucy Letby wrote notes declaring “I killed them on purpose”[/caption]
The Mega AgencyLucy Letby during her first police interview which took place on July 3, 2018[/caption]
PAOne of the many scrawled post-its Lucy wrote[/caption]
She said this doesn’t mean they are facts, just people trying to put the “noise in their head” onto paper.
It’s a way for people to cope with extreme stress in “stream-of-consciousness writing” – a method used in therapy for self-awareness and to help tackle negative self-talk.
So, instead of being an iron-clad confession or ravings of a psychopath, Emma claims Letby’s hate-filled notes instead show a person in pain.
Writing in the Mail, she said: “Handwritten notes was not necessarily the result of a guilty conscience, but of someone experiencing great pain – which could speak just as strongly of innocence as guilt.
“While it is not for me to declare my belief in Letby’s guilt or innocence, I believe the prosecution’s weaponisation of those handwritten notes and the defence’s failure to offer a fully realised alternative explanation provides more than enough room for reasonable doubt about Letby’s conviction.”
She said there are “countless people in crisis” who produce writing like Letby – and they’re not confessing to anything.
Emma explained: “Effectively, we are asked to hold two conflicting truths: that Letby could murder in cold blood, while also demonstrating the overwhelming terror and fear we see in her writings. It does not add up.”
Letby got whole life terms as she cowered in a cell refusing to enter the dock.
At Manchester Crown Court, Judge James Goss told Letby hers was a “cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder” from June 2015 to June 2016.
Detectives discovered dozens of the Post-it notes and scraps of paper when she was first arrested in July 2018.
The notes were used by the prosecution as Letby was convicted of murdering seven infants and trying to kill six more.
Among the chilling phrases written in the killer’s hand was: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.”
In another disturbing memo, Letby wrote: “I am a horrible evil person.”
In capital letters, Britain’s most prolific child killer added: “I AM EVIL I DID THIS.”
She also wrote phrases like “I don’t deserve Mum + Dad”, “Hate myself”, “I am a horrible evil person”, “I don’t deserve to live” and “The world is better off without me”.
On a green post-it note, Letby wrote in capitals: “NO HOPE”, “DESPAIR”, “PANIC”, “FEAR”, ‘LOST’.
Expert Dr Sohom Das told The Sun the notes show a moral battle in Letby’s mind between right and wrong.
Cheshire ConstabularyThe notes were found in the nurse’s bedroom[/caption]
Cheshire ConstabularyMany had symbols and highlighted bits that police worked to decipher[/caption]
Timeline of horror – how Letby targeted babies
LUCY Letby carried out her horrific crimes in a year-long period at Countess of Chester Hospital.
She used insulin and air to inject newborns while working on the neo-natal ward.
The collapses and deaths of the children were not “naturally-occurring tragedies” and instead the gruesome work of “poisoner” Letby.
Her rampage was finally uncovered after staff grew suspicious of the “significant rise” in the number of babies dying or suffering “catastrophic” collapses.
Letby was found to be the “common denominator” among the horrifying incidents.
Officers then searched her three-bedroom home in Chester and discovered a chilling cache of evidence.
The nurse had scribbled haunting notes in diaries and on Post-It notes, including one that read: “I am evil I did this.”
The note added: “I don’t deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them.
“I am a horrible person.”
A probe into whether Letby harmed any other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Liverpool Women’s Hospital is ongoing.
A corporate manslaughter investigation is also ongoing, as is now a gross negligence manslaughter one.
Unlike other criminals who convince themselves they didn’t offend, the psychiatrist reckons Letby knows what she did.
He called her a “remorseless killer” but warned she doesn’t have all the typical traits of a psychopath.
The psychiatrist — an expert witness in court cases — added: “Her true motivations, I believe, are power, control and the thrill of being around the grieving process.”
Detective Inspector Rob Woods said at the time: “The amount of material we found at her home address was, I think, a massive surprise to us when she was first arrested.
“It gave us a really good steer for the second occasion as to what sort of things we were looking for.
“Something that’s been very useful to the inquiry has been Miss Letby’s diaries. They appeared to be, and it became clear later that it was, almost a code of coloured asterisks . . . put in a diary that marked significant events.”
It comes after The Sun reported that Letby is under 24-hour guard after lags taunted her over her case’s coverage.
Staff check every 15 minutes to ensure Britain’s worst child murderer has not been attacked or harmed herself.
It is part of an Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) order placed on Letby, 35, at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.
It comes amid claims Letby has become “deluded” about winning her freedom after a campaign questioning her guilt.
TV documentaries on BBC and ITV have looked into the case.
Her barrister has also referred her convictions to the Criminal Cases Review Committee.
A source said: “She’s been mercilessly mocked about all the documentaries about her.
“She’s in the news so much she’s become a target.
“It has mostly been comments so far, but bosses are worried it’ll escalate, hence the extra checks.
“The other reason is that she appears to have deluded herself she’ll be out soon.
“It’s as if all the publicity’s gone to her head.
“The ACCT was opened so they can keep an eye on her and help her cope with being infamous.
“They also have to manage her expectations as Letby could be in for a very rude awakening.”
Letby, who targeted infants at the Countess of Chester Hospital, was given a whole-life term after being convicted of seven murders and seven attempts in 2023.
She got a 15th life term after being convicted of trying to kill a premature baby after a retrial.
Private firm Sodexo, which runs Bronzefield, said it could not comment on individuals.
ITVLucy Letby seen partying at pal’s wedding while on bail for murdering seven babies[/caption]
PALetby is reportedly a target for mocking in jail as she tries to fight her convictions[/caption]
PACourt artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Lucy Letby giving evidence during her trial at Manchester Crown Court[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
