The personal notes that played a key role in the conviction of child serial killer Lucy Letby were reportedly written under the guidance of counsellors to help the nurse deal with severe stress. The handwritten notes, which included disturbing phrases such as “I am evil, I did this” and “I killed them on purpose because I am not good enough to look after them”, were used as evidence during Letby’s trial.
Letby was convicted in 2023 of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others, including two attempts on a baby. Earlier this year, she declared her innocence, while receiving an additional life sentence for the attempted murder of another baby girl. She is currently serving 15 life sentences for her crimes committed at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
Sources close to the matter told The Guardian That these notes, which were labeled as confessions, were presented as part of a therapeutic process during counseling sessions. Letby was reportedly advised to record her disturbing thoughts and feelings to cope with acute stress. These notes, written after some of her co-workers suspected her of murder, included references to her family, pets, and co-workers, and described frequent suicidal thoughts.
The prosecution built its case against Letby by highlighting incriminating phrases such as “I’m bad, I did this,” which were repeatedly brought to the jury’s attention. However, other phrases in the notes, which were also considered confessions, included statements such as “Why me?”, “I haven’t done anything wrong,” and “police investigation defamation discrimination harassment.”
Some experts have dismissed Letby’s notes as “meaningless” and argued that they have no value as evidence, especially if they were written as part of therapy. David Wilson, professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, commented, “Many people say things under stress that indicate one thing but mean nothing except to reflect their underlying stress.” He added that if the notes were part of therapy, they should not be considered confessions.
Richard Curran, president of the Forensic Psychotherapy Society, echoed this sentiment, saying that “doodling and journaling are ways of controlling one’s thoughts,” and do not indicate a confession. He said Letby’s response to the notes in court was “strong” and consistent with her explanation that she was expressing how she felt.
A public inquiry into Letby’s case is due to begin next week, as questions are raised about the safety of her sentence. Sources said Catherine de Berger, head of occupational health and wellbeing at the hospital where Letby worked, had encouraged her to write down her feelings to cope with the extreme stress. Letby’s Chester GP also advised her to write down thoughts she found hard to understand.
Letby had received many counseling sessions from Ms. de Berger, and she was frequently mentioned in her notes. During her trial, Letby explained that she had always written things down to help her understand her feelings, describing the notes as random thoughts. She questioned herself, wondering if she had inadvertently caused harm by not having enough knowledge or not being a good nurse.
Her defence argued that the notes reflected her distressed state of mind after being accused of murdering the babies, rather than an admission of guilt. Her defence barrister Ben Myers KC had previously argued that the prosecution’s case was “crime riddled” and that everything Letby said or did was interpreted as evidence of her guilt.
Despite this, no expert forensic psychologist was called in to explain how the notes should be interpreted. The Countess of Chester Hospital declined to comment on the case while the inquest and further investigations continue.
