Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

To recap some of the judge's comments just before he passed sentence, he noted that for the offence of murder, the sentence is fixed by law and is imprisonment for life.

"You are now 33... I have to determine whether the seriousness of the offences is sufficiently high that I should not make a minimum term.

"These are offences of very exceptional seriousness," he said.

"This was a cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children... you created situations so that collapses and causes of collapses could not be obvious.

"You checked up on parents... there was a deep malevolence bordering on sadism... you have no remorse... there are no mitigating factors... the offences are of sufficient severity to require a whole life order."

He then said: "I sentence you to imprisonment for life. Because the seriousness of your offences is exceptionally high, I direct that the early release provisions do not apply. The order of the court, therefore, is a whole life order on each and every offence, and you will spend the rest of your life in prison."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

There's silence in court. Some parents are crying.

Justice Goss has just given Lucy Letby a whole life sentence for the murder of seven babies, and the attempted murder of six more.

This means she will never be released from prison.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Having addressed the cases of each baby, the judge is now addressing the seriousness of the crime.

The cruelty and calculation of your actions were truly horrific, says the judge.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Justice Goss now moves onto babies O and P, who were two brothers and part of a set of triplets born in June 2016.

"You were on holiday at the time," the judge addresses Letby, who is not in court. "On the first day back you were their designated nurse.

"Baby O suffered a series of sudden, unexpected collapses, and you inflicted trauma to his liver causing significant bleeding.

"The following day you murdered his older brother, baby P forcing air into his stomach which caused his diaphragm to split.

The third triplet was moved to another hospital and to safety, the judge says.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge now goes on to speak about baby N.

"You attempted to murder baby N.

"You inflicted some painful trauma to his throat causing him to scream and bleed. Fortunately he survived but he could have suffered from the consequences."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Now turning to the case of baby L, the judge says Letby injected insulin into baby L's feed and injected air into his twin, baby M.

"You took home handover sheets relating to them."

Baby L suffered brain damage, the judge notes.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge continues to deliver the sentence as if Lucy Letby were in the room, as he explained he would do earlier.

"Just over a month later you murdered baby I," Justice Goss says.

"She suffered a series of episodes. You injected air into her stomach and bowel causing her to desaturate and vomit. You infused air into her venous system.

"She was transferred to another hospital.

"Six days after her return to Chester she suffered another collapse, screaming out in pain. It was deeply distressing, including for the medical staff who had known baby I for some time.

"You searched for the baby's mother on Facebook."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Moving on to baby G, Justice Goss says in September 2015 Letby made attempts to kill baby G.

"Although on the margin of survival she did survive. The 7th Sept was her 100th day of life. The nurses had made a banner to celebrate. You injected milk down her nasogastric tube.

"You referred to baby G being a 'high risk baby'.

"You made a further attempt to kill her through overfeeding, causing her to projectile vomit and stop breathing. Baby G suffered a profound injury to her brain from which she will not recover. She requires constant nursing support and attention."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Justice Goss is now speaking about baby E and baby F.

The judge says: "Baby E died of air embolus on August 3rd. His bleeding was seen by his mother who was concerned, and you sought to reassure her."

He says at the time, the clinicians thought he'd died of a different condition.

The following night, the judge says, she turned her attention to his twin brother, and added insulin to his feed. "It was not noticeable," he adds.

"You infused a bag that was hung, and several other stock bags so that when they were changed he continued to have insulin.

"Baby F recovered but has severe learning difficulties. No doubt you were reassured that no one suspected insulin had been added, and you went on to attack another baby in the same way eight months later."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge continues going through the case of each baby, and says baby D died in the intensive care nursery.

He says: "You [Letby] will have been aware that she was being treated for an infection.

"You decided to kill her, and injected air into her venous system. You were involved in her resuscitation. You sent a message about an 'element of fate' being involved."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge is now going through the case of each baby.

Baby A died as a result of injection of air. The judge says: "In common with all nurses you knew from your training the dangers of air getting into the venous system."

The judge says four days after baby B's collapse, baby C collapsed and died.

"He was vulnerable with a lung infection, treated by antibiotics. You messaged a colleague saying you needed to 'throw yourself back in and take an ICU baby soon'," he says.

"You injected an excessive amount of air down baby C's nasogastric tube. Before he passed away you made a very insensitive comment to his parents about saying their goodbyes."

As a reminder - if you are watching the court feed, the judge's remarks will occasionally cut out for legal reasons.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

"The lives of newborn babies were ended almost as soon as they began and life-long harm has been done," says the judge.

"Loving parents have been robbed of their children, and others have to live with the consequences... siblings have to live without their brothers and sisters

"The reasons for your actions are known only to you."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Handover sheets relating to all but four of the babies were kept by you, the judge tells Letby, although she is not in court.

"I am satisfied that you kept them as morbid records.

"You had a fascination with the babies and their families, searching for them on Facebook. A piece of paper with dense writing on it was found at your home. You wrote 'the world is better off without me' and 'I am evil I did this'."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Continuing his sentencing remarks, Judge Mr Justice Goss says: "Senior doctors started to think the unthinkable and consider that someone was in fact harming babies and you were identified.

"You had a detached enthusiasm for the resuscitation of babies," he tells her, and says she "made inappropriate comments to parents".

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

Justice Goss says Letby took opportunities to harm babies when staff were away.

He adds that Letby knew that the "last thing" colleagues would expect is that a professional like her was actively harming babies.

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge tells Letby she "became a mentor to student nurses, and in spring 2015 gained the qualification that enabled you to work in intensive care".

"You relished being in the intensive care nursery.

"The methods you employed to carry out your murderous intent were only revealed by the later detailed investigation.

"There was premeditation, calculation and cunning in your actions.

"You targeted twins and triplets. Some were healthy, others had conditions of which you were aware.

"They all fought for survival."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge says: "Lucy Letby... when employed as a nurse... you murdered seven babies and attempted to murder six others, in the case of one of them trying on occasions two weeks apart.

"You acted in a way that was completely contrary to normal human instincts.

"You deliberately harmed them intending to kill them... in your evidence you said that hurting a baby is completely against everything that being a nurse is.

"There is no doubt that you are intelligent and outwardly were a very conscientious and professional nurse which enabled you to repeatedly harm babies on the unit without arousing suspicion."

Judith Moritz
Inside the courtroom

The judge says that the defendant, Lucy Letby has refused to attend court and "accordingly I have to sentence her in her absence".

"I shall deliver the remarks as if she is present to hear them and I direct that she shall receive a copy of them and the victim impact statements."