Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

A statement from baby I's mother is now being be read on her behalf. Lucy Letby murdered baby I, a baby girl, by injecting air into both the infant's bloodstream and stomach.

Baby I's mother says that just before her daughter was attacked, she was "like a full-term baby."

"She was on full bottle feeds sat on my knee, very alert, she often smiled and she never cried, she was a very content little girl," her mother adds.

She recalls phoning the baby's father saying they would be coming home soon. "They had even asked us to bring the car seat in to be checked," she notes.

But a week later this all changed, she says. "We were called and told we needed to come in as [baby I] had another collapse," she adds. "We were in fight or flight mode, we barely ate or slept because [baby I] just kept needing to be resuscitated."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

A statement is now being read by Philip Astbury KC on behalf of the father of baby G, a baby girl who Letby tried to kill in September 2015.

The father of baby G says that she needs substantial care and her mother only gets about two hours' sleep a night.

She was left severely disabled as a result of Letby's attacks. The child is registered as blind, nil by mouth, and has cerebral palsy and progressive scoliosis (spinal curvature). She needs a spinal operation but there is concern that she may not survive the surgery.

Baby G's parents say: "What if she outlives us? Who will care for her then?

"Her condition affects every aspect of our lives... We see other families and their children fishing... playing football... other things we can't do."

"She will never have a sleepover, go to high school, have a boyfriend, get married".

Away from Manchester Crown Court, we've just heard from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was asked in North Yorkshire about Letby refusing to appear.

He says it's "cowardly" that people do not face their victims and hear "first hand the impact their crimes have had".

He confirms the government is looking at changing the law to make sure that happens - "and that's something we'll bring forward in due course".

We'll have the full clip for you soon.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

To give you some detail from the courtroom, it's extremely emotional.

The public gallery is full of parents of the babies some of whom are crying quietly.

Some of the jury members are also upset as they hear the statements.

Letby is not in attendance to witness this. Her parents, who were in court throughout her trial, are not present today either.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of babies E and F continues by saying that even in the final days of the trial, Letby has "tried to control things" by refusing to appear in the dock.

"The disrespect she has shown the families and the court show what type of person she is," the mother adds.

"We have attended court day in and day out, yet she decides she has had enough, and stays in her cell, just one final act of wickedness from a coward."

The mother goes on to "thank" Letby for "showing the court what she is really like once the ‘nice Lucy’ mask slips".

She concludes: "It was honestly the best thing she could have done to ensure our boys got the justice they deserve."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of twins baby E, who was killed, and baby F, who Letby tried to kill, continues to address the courtroom.

She says "the trial felt like a platform for Lucy to relive her crimes".

She adds that "we had to endure months of sitting in court... it was heart-wrenching and soul-destroying... especially when it was suggested that baby E's cry wasn't as loud as I said it was... I was there".

About the fact Letby searched for her on Facebook, the mother says: "The relationship should have been strictly professional... I was on that unit for only 13 days."

"We are living with a life sentence because of Letby’s crimes."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of twin boys E and F continues to share her victim impact statement from the witness box.

The family had IVF and the mother says Letby knew this and was aware of their journey.

"She presented herself as kind, caring and softly spoken. Now I know it was all an act... it has left me unable to trust anyone."

The mother says she won't leave the surviving twin boy, who has complex needs, alone with any medical professional, even though "logically I know that every nurse is not like Lucy".

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of twin babies E and F is speaking now, from the witness box. These twins were born in July 2015.

Letby murdered baby E and attempted to murder baby F 24 hours later.

"Our worlds were shattered when we encountered evil disguised as a caring nurse," she says.

The mother said that when Letby was identified as the suspect, "we felt cheated, deceived and utterly heartbroken".

She says that she felt robbed of precious time with her baby boy after he died. Lucy Letby bathed him and dressed him in a gown, which he was then buried in.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of baby D, a baby girl who was murdered in June 2015, says "I have lost my confidence as a mother, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife".

She is holding a toy rabbit in the witness box as she speaks.

"My marriage is also scarred... it has been hard to keep strong together at times".

"Since [baby D] passed away I live behind my own shadow... I had a car accident and I crashed into a wall."

"I considered ending it all. I couldn't continue... I was hoping that so hard that if i went to the other side I would see my daughter. My prayers have given me the courage to stay."

We know this is an extremely distressing case.

If you, or someone you know, needs help after reading about it, the details of organisations offering assistance can be found on the BBC Action Line website.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The mother of baby D is now in the witness box. Baby D was a baby girl who Letby murdered by injecting air into her bloodstream.

The mother tells the courtroom: "My heart broke into a million pieces when [baby D] lost her battle for life and it unleashed hell.

"We had to organise her funeral. The service took place the day before her due date.

"I missed [baby D] so much. I was desperate to feel her, smell her, cuddle her. I was desperate to keep her safe."

The mother adds that she pushed for answers but was initially told that it wasn't a police matter.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

We're hearing more from the mother of baby C, a baby boy who Letby murdered. The mother is crying in the dock.

"In the dark days after his death I would open his memory box... I used to wear his hand and foot prints around my neck.... On July 3rd when Lucy Letby was arrested I felt so conflicted. She took those hand and foot prints.

"Lucy Letby... there is no sentence that will ever compare to the excruciating agony that we have suffered as a consequence of your actions."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

We are now hearing directly, in person, from the mother of baby C, a baby boy who was murdered by Letby.

She is sitting in the witness box.

She says: "I will always remember the overwhelming wave of emotion I felt when I first held [baby C]. It was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. My tiny feisty boy. My first born. My son...

"The trauma of that night [as he died] will live with us forever... Knowing his murderer was watching us was like something out of a horror story... There are many 'what ifs' that keep me awake.. what if I had not gone to bed that night, maybe he would still be here."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

We're now hearing statements from some of the families whose babies were attacked.

A statement is now being read by Philip Astbury KC on behalf of the parents of babies A and B - twins who were attacked in June 2015. Baby A was murdered and Letby attempted to murder baby B.

"Our minds are so traumatised it won't let us remember the night you killed our child... after losing [baby A] we were riddled with fear for his sister [baby B]...

"We are so thankful that we had that fear for her, as it saved her life.... there was always a member of our family at her side watching... however we made a mistake... little did we know you were waiting for us to leave so you could attack.

"You thought it was your right to play god with our children's lives.

"You thought you could enter our lives and turn it upside down but you will never win. We hope you live a very long life and spend every day suffering for what you've done."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

We're now hearing from Ben Myers KC, Letby's lawyer, who says "the sympathy of everyone lies with the victims and the bereaved families".

"Miss Letby has maintained her innocence throughout these proceedings," he says, adding that "she has now been convicted" and "the sentence to be passed is fixed by law".

"In those circumstances there is nothing that we are able to add in mitigation that is capable of reducing the sentence that will be passed."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Nick Johnson KC says Letby's offences all qualify as sadistic and premeditated... and is a "very, very clear case which qualifies for a whole-life order".

Whole-life orders were introduced in 1983 and were initially imposed by home secretaries. In 2002, the power to pass such a tariff was handed to judges.

Letby's crimes certainly are in the remit of a whole-life order, but it will be up to the judge to pass the sentence.

Should the 33-year-old be given such a sentence, Letby would become the fourth woman in English legal history to receive a whole-life order.

Moors murderer Myra Hindley had her life sentence was increased to a whole life order in 1990, becoming the first woman to receive one. She died in 2002.

Two other women are currently serving whole-life orders. One is Rose West - who was convicted in 1995 of 10 murders in collaboration with her husband Fred West. Joanna Dennehy is the other woman currently serving a whole-life order after being convicted in 2014 of murdering three men and dumping their bodies in ditches outside Peterborough.

Other notorious murderers with whole-life orders include:

• Former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, who kidnapped and murdered Sarah Everard as she walked home from a friend’s house in south London in 2021

• Thomas Mair and Ali Harbi Ali, who murdered MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess respectively

• And most recently, Louis De Zoysa, who was given a whole-life order for shooting and killing Metropolitan Police officer Sgt Mat Ratana.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Nick Johnson KC is addressing the judge, Mr Justice Goss, about the sentencing guidelines for someone convicted of murder, relating to lifetime imprisonment.

He says: "We submit that this is a very clear case, in which the offences which Lucy Letby has been convicted are are so serious, that the early release provisions should not apply."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge is in court. He is reminding us of the reporting restrictions which cover the anonymity of babies, their families and some medics.

Nick Johnson KC, leading the prosecution, is on his feet. He confirms that Lucy Letby has refused to appear.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The courtroom is full and the babies' families fill the public gallery.

Eight out of the 11 jurors have returned to hear today's sentencing hearing.

Lucy Letby is not in the dock currently.