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.
What happened today?
We're closing our live coverage soon. Let's have a final re-cap of what happened in court today:
Lucy Letby was 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 involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children," the judge said
Letby refused to attend the sentencing. There have been calls from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to change the law to compel those convicted to attend sentencing
She becomes just the fourth woman in British history to have ever been given a whole-life term - Myra Hindley, Rosemary West and Joanna Dennehy are the others
Families gave victim impact statements before Letby was sentenced
One bereaved mother said she hated the fact that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold her baby son
Another said: "We are living with a life sentence because of Letby’s crimes"
No such thing as 'closure'
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.
Raw humanity in court as parents tell of grief and loss
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.
Zara Aleena's aunt 'sad and angry' for families of Letby victims
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."
Prison van leaves court
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.
What powers do judges already have to make defendants appear in court?
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.
Letby's refusal to attend sentencing the final insult, says parents' lawyer
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."
Starmer says inquiry must have powers to compel witnesses
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.
We'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."
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
If you need support...
We 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.
Justice secretary says law needed to compel offenders to attend sentencing
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, formerly known as Twitter.
What's been happening?
If you're just joining us or need a re-cap, here's what has happened at today's sentencing hearing:
Lucy Letby has been given a whole life term, with no chance of parole, for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more
The judge said her "cruelty and calculation" was "truly horrific"
Letby was not present for the sentencing and PM Rishi Sunak said the government is planning to change the law to compel convicts to attend sentencing
Earlier families gave statements to the court describing the impact of Letby's crimes
One bereaved mother said she hated the fact that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold her baby son
Another said: "I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her"
A mother of a baby girl who was left severely disabled after Letby tried to kill her said her daughter "will never have a sleepover, go to high school, have a boyfriend, get married"
You can read more about what the families told the court here.
Letby becomes fourth woman in UK to ever get whole life order
As a reminder, a whole life order means someone's crime "was so serious that they will never be released from prison".
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."
'A cruel, calculated campaign' - Justice Goss sentences Letby
Quote Message: This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children...
This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children...
Quote Message: You created situations so that collapses and causes of collapses could not be obvious...
You created situations so that collapses and causes of collapses could not be obvious...
Quote Message: You checked up on parents... there was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism...
You checked up on parents... there was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism...
Quote Message: You have no remorse... there are no mitigating factors... the offences are of sufficient severity to require a whole life order." from Mr Justice Goss, sentencing Lucy Letby at Manchester Crown Court
You have no remorse... there are no mitigating factors... the offences are of sufficient severity to require a whole life order."
WATCH: Moment Letby is sentenced to whole life in jail
Letby will never be able to inflict suffering again - CPS
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.”
Judge praises families' dignity
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.
Judge thanks jury for 'outstanding diligence'
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.
Live Reporting
Edited by Francesca Gillett and Rob Corp
All times stated are UK
-
Lucy Letby was 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 involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children," the judge said
-
Letby refused to attend the sentencing. There have been calls from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to change the law to compel those convicted to attend sentencing
-
She becomes just the fourth woman in British history to have ever been given a whole-life term - Myra Hindley, Rosemary West and Joanna Dennehy are the others
-
Families gave victim impact statements before Letby was sentenced
-
One bereaved mother said she hated the fact that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold her baby son
-
Another said: "We are living with a life sentence because of Letby’s crimes"
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media ReutersCopyright: Reuters -
Lucy Letby has been given a whole life term, with no chance of parole, for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more
-
The judge said her "cruelty and calculation" was "truly horrific"
-
Letby was not present for the sentencing and PM Rishi Sunak said the government is planning to change the law to compel convicts to attend sentencing
-
Earlier families gave statements to the court describing the impact of Letby's crimes
-
One bereaved mother said she hated the fact that Lucy Letby was the last person to hold her baby son
-
Another said: "I don't think we will ever get over the fact that our daughter was tortured till she had no fight left in her"
-
A mother of a baby girl who was left severely disabled after Letby tried to kill her said her daughter "will never have a sleepover, go to high school, have a boyfriend, get married"
Latest PostWe're closing our live coverage
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.
What happened today?
We're closing our live coverage soon. Let's have a final re-cap of what happened in court today:
No such thing as 'closure'
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.
Raw humanity in court as parents tell of grief and loss
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.
Zara Aleena's aunt 'sad and angry' for families of Letby victims
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."
Prison van leaves court
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.
What powers do judges already have to make defendants appear in court?
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.
Letby's refusal to attend sentencing the final insult, says parents' lawyer
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."
Starmer says inquiry must have powers to compel witnesses
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.
Families' experiences heartbreaking - Cheshire police
We'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."
If you need support...
We 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.
Justice secretary says law needed to compel offenders to attend sentencing
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, formerly known as Twitter.
What's been happening?
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.
Letby becomes fourth woman in UK to ever get whole life order
As a reminder, a whole life order means 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.
No 10 does not rule out out statutory inquiry
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."
'A cruel, calculated campaign' - Justice Goss sentences Letby
WATCH: Moment Letby is sentenced to whole life in jail
Letby will never be able to inflict suffering again - CPS
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.”
Judge praises families' dignity
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.
Judge thanks jury for 'outstanding diligence'
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.