Lucy Letby probe must be free of any taint of secrecy and shown on TV so we can see how such evil happened
IT really is unimaginable that a killer nurse was somehow able to murder seven babies and attempt to kill six others while working on an NHS hospital’s intensive care unit.
The Lucy Letby case is one of the most heartbreaking and hideous this country has ever seen.
Thankfully, this week she was prevented from appealing her 14 life sentences.
Now the opportunity for proper answers will come in the form of a public inquiry starting in September.
It will delve into how the nurse was able to murder those babies at the Countess of Chester, the conduct of others at the hospital and the culture in the wider NHS.
At the preliminary hearing, the devastated families said they wanted the proceedings to be publicly broadcast to help stop social media conspiracy theories continuing to spread.
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So do I.
Speak openly
This inquiry needs to be open and in full view, for us all to know what went on, so lessons can be learned and parents can leave their babies in the arms of a nurse without feeling utter terror.
But shockingly, the hospital doesn’t seem as keen.
Despite the atrocities that took place under its roof, a lawyer for the Countess of Chester told the hearing the staff have a “high level of anxiety” at the prospect of their evidence being streamed.
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Andrew Kennedy KC said if the prospect of live-streaming was removed, it would “encourage candour, frankness and openness”. This makes my blood boil.
Because at the end of the day the staff are public servants.
They are paid for by you and me and should want to do the right thing and speak openly, whether the public are scrutinising them on TV or not.
Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants and, in this case more than any other, transparency is desperately needed because the Lucy Letby trial was shrouded in secrecy from the get go.
Pain and anguish
Open justice was chucked out of the window as anonymity orders were swiftly brought in after some medical professionals said they would suffer distress if they were named while giving evidence.
They can no longer fear they are incriminating an innocent colleague because the killer nurse is behind bars.
So this inquiry must be free of any taint of secrecy.
Because, as the infected blood and Post Office scandals show, one thing we know for sure is that when things go badly wrong, there is an attempted cover-up.
One of the most shocking aspects of both these cases was the lies and deceit that cost lives, ripped families apart and caused pain and anguish for years.
There is no doubt that Lucy Letby’s colleagues have been through a terrible trauma.
But that is nothing compared to the unimaginable agony of the families of those small babies.
So Lady Justice Thirlwall must do the right thing when she launches her inquiry.
That is, to shine the brightest light she can into every dark corner of the Letby case.
It is the only way to ensure it never happens again.
STICK TO THE RECIPE
MASTERCHEF has just finished its 20th series. And the format has barely changed.
You know the drill. A load of hopefuls desperate to get their mitts on an apron, invention tests going badly wrong, Gregg Wallace annoying wannabe chefs as they try to cook under pressure and John Torode getting emotional and tearful about a plate of food as they head towards the final.
This series – won by vet Brin Pirathapan – it was a dish with cod belly and pickled plums that led the chef to “well up”.
Ridiculous. Formulaic. But I absolutely love it.
MasterChef proves that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
AN OWN GOAL, ETHAN
I GET a little bit excited every time I get that email from The National Lottery telling me I’ve won a “prize”, only to feel disappointed when I “sign in” as instructed and discover it’s £5 and not £5million.
But imagine the heartache for poor Ethan Conway, who staked £219 on a Premier League punt but cashed out minutes before full time.
He predicted Brighton 0, Manchester United 2; Liverpool 2, Wolves 0; and Sheffield United 0, Tottenham Hotspur 3.
He took £5,130 with United leading 1-0 but if he’d held his nerve he’d have won £814,000. Utterly devastating.
He says he won’t be having a flutter for a while. I bet he won’t.
PRIMARK fans have hit back at ballet pumps being back in fashion. I am with them.
The Nineties shoe trend always looked stylish on Princess Di, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung.
But for those who aren’t quite, erm, so “petite” they put the flat in unflattering.
I’M not quite sure what kind of warped bubble the BBC bosses are living in.
They have just signed up the bad boy of tennis, Nick Kyrgios, to cover this year’s Wimbledon.
On the court he spits at fans, throws tantrums and swears in front of children, including young Prince George.
And off court, he pleaded guilty last year to assaulting his ex, and he supports misogynist Andrew Tate.
Tennis has always been seen as a gentleman’s sport.
Centre Court is not where a domestic abuser should be given a platform to give his views.
He is a vile role model and a hideous human being.
They should hang their heads in shame.
WE all knew Anne Robinson was a smart cookie.
Now we know Anne has managed to amass a £50million fortune and has shrewdly already given it away to her family before she pops her clogs.
Taxman, you are the weakest link, goodbye.
PRAISE BEYOND BELIEF
THE story of the British-born teenager who is to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint really is a modern-day miracle.
Carlo Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 aged 15, spread the teachings of the church online and launched websites to document reported Eucharist miracles.
Now he’s been approved for canonisation by Pope Francis following two miracles attributed to him.
The first was when a Mexican child was healed of a congenital heart disease, and then a Costa Rican mother prayed at the tomb of Carlo in Italy for her daughter who then recovered following a serious bike accident.
The teenager told his mum he was happy to die because he had lived his life “without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn’t have pleased God”.
Proud parent could really never cover it.
HOW TO PEASE
A NORTH-South eating divide means millions of Brits have never tried a Lancashire hotpot, Cornish pasty or haggis.
Which means that there will be plenty who have never tried the North East delicacy of pease pudding.
It sounds vile. It’s made of split yellow peas cooked with water and is then left to go cold.
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But it is an absolute lush delight when slathered, very thickly, on to a ham sandwich.
For me, it’s worth the trip to Newcastle just to eat it.