On October 4, a nurse who murdered seven newborns and attempted to kill ten more will go on trial.
While employed on the neonatal ward of the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, Lucy Letby, 32, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, is alleged to have gone on a year-long murdering spree.
Between June 2015 and June 2016, she is accused of killing five boys, two girls, and attempting to kill five boys and five girls.
She refutes each and every accusation.
The defendant appeared in court today via video link from HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.
During the 80-minute proceeding, she did not speak other than to confirm her name.
Prior to her trial, the hearing covered topics that cannot be revealed.
According to a court ruling, it is also unlawful to name the parents or other witnesses who may have been present when the children were allegedly attacked by Letby.
Her trial will start on October 4 and might run up to six months at the same court.
Letby had a not guilty verdict for one of the accusations entered at a court hearing earlier in June.
Letby was initially accused of killing eight babies and attempting to kill ten more, however on June 10 at Manchester Crown Court, Nick Johnson QC declared that the prosecution was not presenting any evidence for one of the murder allegations against Letby.
A not guilty finding on that count was formally ordered to be entered by Mr. Justice Goss.
Cheshire Police had originally taken Ms. Letby into custody in 2018 as a result of an increase in the number of fatalities at her newborn unit.
She was detained again in 2019 and again in 2018 for the same alleged offenses.
After the hospital expressed worry over the high number of deaths between March 2015 and July 2016 — which were reportedly 10% above usual — police opened an investigation.
When doctors discovered preterm babies had passed away from heart and lung failure but were unusually difficult to revive, an internal investigation was launched.