'Cold' Lucy Letby failed to get a nursing internship in her final year, inquest hears | UK news

A public inquiry has heard that Lucy Letby was initially denied a place in her final year as a nursing student after she was deemed “cold” and lacking empathy.

Her assessor Nicola Lightfoot, deputy head of the children's ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said it was obvious to her that Letby did not have the “general qualities” to succeed as a registered nurse.

She told investigators: “I noticed Lucy was quite cold. I didn't notice she exuded the natural warmth I expect from a pediatric nurse.

“We see students who are exceptionally academic but don't really seem to fit the role of a pediatric nurse from a personality standpoint, which includes qualities like empathy, being kind, friendly and being able to establish good relationships with our families.”

Mrs. Lightfoot said Letbyher clinical knowledge “wasn't where it needed to be” and that she “struggled” to retain information on calculating medication doses as well as recognizing side effects of commonly used medications.

The assessor's report, written in July 2011, said she believed Letby needed “significantly more support, guidance and supervision than would be expected at this stage in order to be recognized as a competent professional”.

Letby is serving 15 life sentences after being convicted at Manchester Crown Court of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six other people between June 2015 and June 2016.

The a public inquiry into the circumstances of Letby's crimes is sitting at Liverpool Town Hall and the findings will be published in late autumn 2025.

Ms Lightfoot told the hearing she overheard Letby make an “inappropriate” comment after the deaths of his two triplets in June 2016.

Letby, 34, from Hereford, was later convicted of the murders of two children.

Ms Lightfoot said she heard Letby say “something like, 'You'll never guess what happened'”.

“The way she said it made it seem like she was talking about some exciting event she had witnessed,” Ms Lightfoot told investigators.

“It was not an appropriate response to the death of a child. I have never seen such a reaction towards a nurse involved in the death of a patient.”

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The investigation heard that Letby asked for a different supervisor because she felt “intimidated” by Ms. Lightfoot.

The hearing was told she passed exams in three areas in which she failed after completing a four-week internship with another supervisor.

Another of Letby's mentors, Sarah Jayne Murphy, stated that she felt “conflicted” about her subsequent dedication, but concluded that she met the required standards.

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Ms Murphy, who also mentored Letby in her first year of nursing school, said she remembered her being “quiet” and “shy”.

“She did not demonstrate good interpersonal skills in dealing with children, parents, nurses or the wider team,” she said.

Ms Murphy said Letby “often had quite a blank expression on his face”, which she and other staff “found awkward”.

Another nurse, Janet Cox, told the inquest that she had no concerns or suspicions about Letby's conduct and believed she was “an exemplary nurse, completely innocent of all the crimes alleged against her”.

“Of course every death is a concern, but I didn't think so then and I don't think there's anything sinister about the increase in deaths/collapses now,” she said.