Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

British Indian paediatrician helps catch 'killer nurse' Lucy Letby

Paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram is among those who raised concerns and helped convict Letby

British Indian paediatrician helps catch 'killer nurse' Lucy Letby

A UK-born Indian-origin consultant paediatrician at a hospital in northern England is among those who raised concerns and helped convict a nurse found guilty of killing seven babies by a UK court.

Dr Ravi Jayaram, from the Countess of Chester Hospital in Chester, said some of those lives could have been saved if his concerns about former nurse colleague Lucy Letby had been heeded and the police alerted sooner.


Letby, 33, was found guilty of the murder of seven newborn babies and also found guilty of seven counts of attempted murder relating to six other babies by a jury at Manchester Crown Court. She will be sentenced at the same court on Monday (21).

“I do genuinely believe that there are four or five babies who could be going to school now who aren’t,” Dr Jayaram told ITV News in a television interview after the verdict.

He told the channel that consultants first began raising concerns after three babies died in June 2015. As more babies collapsed and died, senior medics like him held several meetings with hospital executives to raise their concerns about Letby.

Eventually, it was in April 2017 that the NHS trust allowed doctors to meet with a police officer.

“The police, after listening to us for less than 10 minutes, realised that this is something that they had to be involved with. I could have punched the air,” said Dr Jayaram.

Shortly afterwards, an investigation was launched that would lead to Letby’s arrest.

The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service told the court that Letby used a variety of methods to secretly attack a total of 13 babies in the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester hospital between 2015 and 2016.

During her trial, which began in October last year, Manchester Crown Court heard that doctors at the hospital began to notice a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying or were unexpectedly collapsing.

The CPS presented evidence of Letby using various methods to attack babies, including the injection of air and insulin into their bloodstream; the infusion of air into their gastrointestinal tract; force feeding an overdose of milk or fluids; impact-type trauma.

Her intention was to kill the babies while deceiving her colleagues into believing there was a natural cause, the jury was told.

“Lucy Letby sought to deceive her colleagues and pass off the harm she caused as nothing more than a worsening of each baby’s existing vulnerability. In her hands, innocuous substances like air, milk, fluids – or medication like insulin – would become lethal. She perverted her learning and weaponised her craft to inflict harm, grief and death,” said Pascale Jones of the CPS.

“Time and again, she harmed babies, in an environment which should have been safe for them and their families. Her attacks were a complete betrayal of the trust placed in her,” he said.

Letby was first arrested in July 2018 and subsequently charged in November 2020.

(PTI)

More For You

UK Tourism Growth Hit by Government Policies, Says Travel Body

UK remained one of the world’s most‑visited countries

Getty

Travel body blames government for harming UK tourism growth

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has accused the UK government of “sabotaging” the country’s tourism sector after international visitor spending fell by over £2 billion in 2024 compared with pre‑pandemic levels. In a new WTTC study, visitors to the UK spent £40.3 billion last year—a 5.3 per cent decline on the £42.6 billion recorded in 2019.

The WTTC, which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, said ministers had made “deliberate policy choices” that erected “barriers to travel” and discouraged high‑value tourists. Policies cited include the removal of tax‑free shopping, rising air passenger duty (APD) rates and the introduction—and subsequent fee increase—of the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme for non‑UK nationals.

Keep ReadingShow less
pope-francis-getty

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Key moments in the life of Pope Francis

POPE FRANCIS, who has died at the age of 88, led the Catholic Church through a period of reform, challenge, and global engagement.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he became the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mohammed Shaheeb,

Shaheeb, who was already banned from driving until March 2027, was arrested at the scene. (Photo: West Midlands Police)

West Midlands Police

Man jailed for ramming police vehicles in Birmingham

A MAN has been jailed for 22 weeks after ramming three police vehicles and a civilian car while trying to flee from officers in Birmingham.

Mohammed Shaheeb, 39, was spotted apparently asleep in a parked VW Scirocco with tape over part of the number plate on Montpellier Street on 5 October last year.

Keep ReadingShow less
vaisakhi

The family-friendly event also included a funfair with children's rides and games

iStock

Smethwick comes alive with colour and culture for Vaisakhi celebrations

Smethwick High Street was transformed into a lively hub of colour, music and community spirit as thousands gathered to celebrate Vaisakhi, one of the most significant festivals in the Sikh calendar.

Organised by the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick, the event took place on Sunday, 11 May 2025, from 10am to 7pm, covering both the High Street and Victoria Park. The celebration marked the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1699, a central event in Sikh history.

Keep ReadingShow less
kashmir attack

Indian police officers stand guard at a check point following an attack, near Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Reuters

Gunmen open fire on tourists in Indian Kashmir, at least 24 dead

AT LEAST 24 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on tourists, a senior police officer told AFP. Authorities said it was the worst attack on civilians in years.

The shooting took place in Pahalgam, a popular summer tourist destination around 90 kilometres from Srinagar. A senior police officer in the region, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death toll.

Keep ReadingShow less