Lifestyle

Prison Officer Shares Rare Glimpse of Lucy Letby Behind Bars: “She Was Nothing Like I Expected”

Published on June 25, 2025

One of the officers on duty when Lucy Letby first arrived at Styal Prison has lifted the lid on his encounter with her on remand and it’s chilling stuff. “Dave” not his real name chatted on Shaun Attwood’s true‑crime podcast about his brief, unsettling experience with Letby, convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill seven others across two trials late ‘23.

She’d just been through court, arrived at the “segregation unit” in Cheshire and was on “constant watch”. Dave admits he didn’t know who was coming at first – he’d signed up for some overtime – but the moment he clocked her, manager whispered: “It’s Lucy Letby”, reported the Mirror.

Dave describes the first impression: photographs had shown a neat‑looking blonde nurse, but that night? “She just looked sort of drained … brown hair … dishevelled.” He reckons they exchanged a word or two – maybe she asked what time it was – but nothing more. Letby’s stay in Styal was brief; within days she was transferred elsewhere. Dave isn’t certain whether other inmates ever clocked her presence, but reckons the news would’ve spread fast – and not been welcomed kindly by fellow inmates given the nature of her crimes.

Letby, now 35, was convicted of her horrendous offences between June 2015 and June 2016 at the Countess of Chester Hospital. She’s serving a whole‑life tariff at HMP Bronzefield, among Britain’s most secure prisons for women.

Her legal team hasn’t given up. Last year she sought to appeal her convictions at the Court of Appeal – and failed twice. Since then, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt urged a “speedy” look‑over by the Criminal Cases Review Commission after experts raised “serious and credible” concerns about the evidence. Letby’s lawyers say they’ve uncovered “fresh” proof pointing to her innocence.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Constabulary is digging into a wider series of incidents. The force is reviewing unexplained deaths and baby collapses at both the Countess of Chester and Liverpool Women’s Hospital between 2012 and 2016 – the years when Letby worked there – in case there are more sinister patterns. Reports suggest they’ve examined thousands of admissions in a bid to uncover any further injustice.

Though many experts stand by the convictions, the safety of the case remains hotly debated. Questions hang over the statistical data, the science behind alleged air embolisms, and even how door‑swipe logs were handled. A panel of neonatologists, toxicologists, statisticians and others has flagged flaws in the trial evidence. Letby’s team has applied to the CCRC, keen to reopen the investigation on the basis that technical errors may have skewed the outcome.

In a nutshell, Letby’s story goes far beyond her sentencing in 2023. She may be securely locked away now, but the debate over how these horrific events unfolded – and whether justice was fully served refuses to fade.