Lucy Letby is given a whole life term, with no chance of parole, for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more
"This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder," the judge says
Letby refused to appear in court - Rishi Sunak confirms the government is planning to change the law to compel convicts to attend sentencing
This morning, one mother said the murder of her son was "like something out of a horror story"
Other parents said their surviving children, whom Letby attempted to murder, are now disabled
Just three other woman have ever been given whole life terms - Myra Hindley, Rosemary West, and Joanna Dennehy
Thank you for joining us today.
This page was edited by Francesca Gillett and Rob Corp. It was written by Heather Sharp, Malu Cursino, Emily Atkinson and George Wright.
For more on the sentencing of Lucy Letby, you can read our news story here.
We're closing our live coverage soon. Let's have a final re-cap of what happened in court today:
Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom
There was a sense, after so many months in court, that everyone was there to see things through. There will be no such thing as "closure" for those most affected by Lucy Letby’s crimes.
Their statements made it clear that the effect on their lives will be never-ending. But the person at whom their anger was directed was not there to hear it.
As the parents spoke the only part of the room which was empty was the dock.
The judge was clear these offences are of such severity - he talked about them being sadistic - that he couldn’t set a minimum term. She will stay in prison for the rest of her life.
Lucy Letby is 33 years old: She will never be released.
Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom
The atmosphere inside court number seven was hard to put into words.
It felt completely different to the rest of the trial which has involved month upon month of complex evidence.
It was intense. The room was packed with the public gallery next to where I was sitting full of the families of babies who had been murdered at the hands of Lucy Letby.
There was no technicality today, just raw humanity. As the hearing began, there was silence, which hung heavily as we waited for the judge to enter.
Then, as parent after parent spoke of their grief, loss,and distress, their words were accompanied by the subtle sound of weeping coming from around the court.
We sat and listened to the harrowing human testimony from those families, who one-by-one spoke about the impact this has had on them. A lot of that detail hadn't come out in the trial.
It was written so Letby could hear about what damage she has done.
She wasn't there physically but we know the statements made by the families and the judge's remarks will be given to her in prison.
Image source, PA MediaFarah Naz, Zara Aleena's aunt
Farah Naz, the aunt of murdered law graduate Zara Aleena, is sharing her sympathies for the families "devastated" by Lucy Letby.
Like Letby, Jordan McSweeney - who killed Aleena in June 2022 - refused to attend his sentencing hearing.
Reflecting on McSweeney's hearing, Farah Naz tells BBC 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty her family had "painstakingly written our victim impact statements and tried to put it in Zara’s voice”.
She explains: “We really wanted him to hear that - whether he listened, whether he expressed any remorse, whether he would spit or look away, or putting his fingers in his ears, that wouldn't have mattered actually.”
Speaking about Letby's victims, she said: "I feel really sad and angry for the families that have been devastated."
The van believed to have brought serial killer Lucy Letby from prison has been photographed leaving the courthouse where she was given a whole-life sentence - meaning she will never be eligible for parole.
Image source, ReutersA Greater Manchester Police car leads the prison van out of Manchester Crown Court
Image source, ReuLetby was told by the judge she will spend the rest of her life in prison
Lucy Gilder
Home and Social Affairs Researcher
Lucy Letby’s refusal to appear in court for sentencing has prompted the government to confirm it will change the law so that defendants will be forced to attend the final part of their trial.
But what powers do the courts already have?
Judges can order defendants to attend court before a verdict has been reached. If they fail to do so without a good reason – such as illness – the trial will proceed in their absence.
Defendants can sometimes be made to attend court after a verdict has been reached, during sentencing.
"Reasonable force" can be used to bring prisoners to court. However, the Ministry of Justice told the BBC that it does not hold any data on how often this happens.
The Law Society, which represents solicitors in England and Wales, says that in some cases there may also be a reluctance by prison governors to use reasonable force.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says the government will bring in changes to force offenders to appear at their sentencing "in due course". Former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has suggested this could involve beaming court proceedings into prisoner’s cells.
Solicitor Tamlin Bolton represents the parents of seven of the victims in the civil courts.
She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One that Letby's non-attendance at the sentencing hearing would provoke anger from the relatives and showed her disregard for them.
"I imagine many of the families, not only those that we represent, all feel extremely angry she didn't attend today. It really is the final insult.
"There's a guilty verdict, there's going to be a sentence but not facing the consequences of those actions speaks of complete disregard, not only for the damage she's caused but it's an insult to our judicial system and the process."
A little more from Labour leader Keir Starmer, who has added his voice to calls to give more powers to the inquiry into Letby's crimes.
The government has ordered in independent inquiry, but it will not have the power to summon evidence or witnesses, as it is not a statutory inquiry.
Last week, Health Minister Helen Whately said this meant it could be conducted "at pace".
Starmer said he believed a statutory inquiry should be held "because that's what the victims' families want and after what they've been through, I think that's a really important consideration".
He also said the powers of a statutory inquiry would allow it to give "the fullest, proper, comprehensive analysis of what went wrong".
"I don't think that needs to hold things up. We could get on with that very quickly," he said.
As we reported earlier, Downing Street says the government is not ruling out holding a statutory inquiry, but cannot confirm when terms of reference for the investigation would be published.
Image source, PA MediaWe've now heard from from Cheshire Constabulary, who say the sentence "reflects the true scale and gravity" of Letby's "horrific crimes".
Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Evans, said it "ensures that a calculated and dangerous individual is behind bars for a very long time".
“Nothing will bring back the babies who died or take away the pain and suffering experienced by all of the families over the years, but I hope that the significant sentence will bring some comfort at this dark time.
"Hearing their own experiences in their own words has been truly heartbreaking," she added, saying "I would once again like to say thank you to the families for putting your trust in us."
Image source, ReutersWe know this story and a lot of the details that have emerged are extremely distressing.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised you can visit BBC Action Line which has details of organisations offering support.
Much of the discussion around Lucy Letby's sentencing hearing today has focused on her refusal to appear in the dock.
Responding after Letby was given a whole-life term at Manchester Crown Court for murdering seven babies, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the government wanted to change the law to compel offenders to attend their sentencing.
"Lucy Letby is not just a murderer but a coward, whose failure to face her victims' families, refusing to hear their impact statements and society's condemnation, is the final insult," he wrote on X, external, formerly known as Twitter.
Image source, Elizabeth Cook / PA MediaLetby was not present for the sentencing but was in court when the jury began returning its verdicts - as captured here by court artist Elizabeth Cook on 10 August
If you're just joining us or need a re-cap, here's what has happened at today's sentencing hearing:
You can read more about what the families told the court here.
As a reminder, a whole life order , externalmeans someone's crime "was so serious that they will never be released from prison".
Just three other women have been given such sentences in the UK - Myra Hindley (who died in 2002), Rosemary West, and Joanna Dennehy.
The government is not ruling out holding a statutory inquiry into Letby's crimes, No 10 says, but cannot confirm when terms of reference for the investigation would be published.
Earlier, Rishi Sunak defended the non-statutory inquiry announced by ministers, despite calls for proceedings to be upgraded to a judge-led probe. A non-statutory inquiry has fewer powers than a statutory one, and for example can't force people to give evidence.
"We are focused on the outcomes, the most important thing is to make sure families get the answers they need and that it's possible to learn the lessons, that it's done transparently and that it happens as quickly as possible," the prime minister's official spokesman tells reporters.
"And that's crucial. And obviously, we will have an inquiry on the right footing to achieve that."
Pressed again on whether it could be a statutory inquiry, he replied: "As I say we will put it on the right footing to achieve those outcomes."
Quote MessageThis was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children...
Quote MessageYou created situations so that collapses and causes of collapses could not be obvious...
Quote MessageYou checked up on parents... there was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism...
Quote MessageYou have no remorse... there are no mitigating factors... the offences are of sufficient severity to require a whole life order."
Mr Justice Goss, sentencing Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says Lucy Letby's whole life term means she "will never again be able to inflict the suffering she did while working as a neonatal nurse".
"She has rightly been brought to justice by the court," Senior Crown Prosecutor Pascale Jones of CPS Mersey Cheshire said in a statement.
“My thoughts remain with the families of the victims who have demonstrated enormous strength in the face of extraordinary suffering.
"I hope that the trial has brought answers which had long eluded them.”
Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom
Justice Goss commends the court staff for their diligence and care.
He thanks other members of the courts service, who he says have facilitated annexes so that the proceedings can be observed by many more than are present in court.
The judge thanks the court clerks and prison officers. He goes on to thank members of the mental health team who have been present for the defendant, Lucy Letby.
Justice Goss thanks all counsel and all those in the investigation.
The judge praises the families' "behaviour and dignity" which he says he sincerely acknowledges with gratitude.
Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom
The judge adds: "Trial by jury is fundamental to our criminal justice system... I want to repeat my thanks to the jury for their outstanding diligence."
Justice Goss acknowledges the trial "will have had a very emotional impact" and adds that there is support available.