Lucy Letby Timeline 2011–2026 | Trial, Appeals & What’s Next
Lucy Letby Case Timeline (2011–2026): Key Dates, Trial, Appeals, and What Happens Now
This post lays out the major, publicly reported milestones in the Lucy Letby case—from her early nursing career through the trials, appeal outcomes, the Thirlwall Inquiry, and developments in 2026. It focuses on dates, procedures, and verified updates (not speculation).
Quick summary (where things stand in 2026)
- Lucy Letby was convicted across two trials (2023 and a 2024 retrial) and is serving 15 whole life orders.
- Her first appeal bid was refused in May 2024; a later attempt to appeal the 2024 retrial conviction was refused in October 2024.
- The Thirlwall Inquiry held hearings from September 2024 into early 2025; the final report is scheduled for publication after Easter 2026 (with another timing update due at the end of February 2026).
- On 20 January 2026, the CPS said it would not bring further charges relating to additional allegations investigated by police (separate from the convictions already secured).
- In February 2026, a coroner formally opened inquests into the deaths of five babies Letby was convicted of murdering, then adjourned them pending the public inquiry.
If you only need one sentence: as of February 8, 2026, the criminal convictions remain in place, appeals have been refused, and the next big “process milestones” are the public inquiry report (expected after Easter 2026) and related inquest activity—while police/corporate investigations continue on separate tracks.
The video above is widely shared as the trailer for Netflix’s The Investigation of Lucy Letby. (If it doesn’t load in your region, replace the embed with another official trailer upload.)
Timeline (2011–2026): key dates
Note: UK reporting restrictions mean victims are often referred to by letters (e.g., “Baby K”). This timeline keeps to the same convention and prioritizes official and court-linked sources.
| Date | What happened | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Letby qualified as a children’s nurse (University of Chester) and began working at the Countess of Chester Hospital after graduating. | Establishes the start of her professional career timeline. |
| June 2015 – June 2016 | The period covered by the convictions relates to incidents on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital. | This is the core period the prosecution focused on for murder/attempted murder charges. |
| July 2016 | Police later investigated deaths and non-fatal collapses in the neonatal unit across 2015–2016; reporting at the time also indicates Letby was removed from clinical duties and placed in an administrative role prior to being suspended. | Marks the end of her frontline neonatal work and the start of internal escalation. |
| 3 July 2018 | First arrest; she was later released on bail (6 July 2018). | First major public investigative step after the hospital contacted police. |
| 10 June 2019 | Rearrested as the investigation continued/widened. | Shows the inquiry was still active and developing. |
| 11 November 2020 | Charged (reported as 8 counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder relating to June 2015–June 2016). | Formal criminal prosecution begins (from investigation to court process). |
| 10 October 2022 | Trial at Manchester Crown Court began. | Start of the long, high-profile trial phase. |
| 18 August 2023 | Verdicts returned; CPS reported convictions for murders and attempted murders relating to 2015–2016. | Core conviction milestone. |
| 21 August 2023 | Sentenced; received a whole life order (as reported by CPS). | Sets the sentence framework (“whole life order” = no release). |
| 24 May 2024 | Court of Appeal refused leave to appeal against convictions from the first trial. | Exhausts the “normal” appeal route for those convictions unless later reopened by an extraordinary mechanism. |
| 2 July 2024 | Retrial verdict: found guilty of the attempted murder of Baby K. | Adds one more conviction after a jury in the first trial could not reach a verdict on that count. |
| 5 July 2024 (sentencing), 9 July 2024 (CPS statement) | Sentenced to a further whole life order following the retrial. | Brings the publicly stated total to 15 whole life orders. |
| 10 September 2024 | Thirlwall Inquiry hearings opened (opening statements), followed by oral evidence through early 2025. | Begins the major “system accountability” phase outside the criminal courts. |
| 24 October 2024 | Refused permission to appeal the Baby K attempted murder conviction (retrial). | Closes another appeal attempt in the standard route. |
| 17–19 March 2025 | Thirlwall Inquiry closing submissions hearings (end of oral evidence phase). | Moves the inquiry toward report drafting. |
| 7 November 2025 | Inquiry update: final report scheduled for publication after Easter 2026; further timing update due end of Feb 2026. | Sets expectations for when the inquiry findings may land. |
| 20 January 2026 | CPS decision: no further charges to be brought regarding additional allegations submitted by police in July 2025. | Clarifies the boundary between the convictions already secured and other investigated allegations. |
| 4 February 2026 | Coroner opened inquests into the deaths of five babies Letby was convicted of murdering; proceedings adjourned pending the public inquiry. | Shows parallel “fact-finding” and accountability processes continuing alongside the convictions. |
Sources for key timeline anchors include CPS case updates (conviction/sentencing; retrial sentencing; further-charge decision), Court of Appeal reporting, Thirlwall Inquiry official updates, and 2018–2020 reporting on arrests/charge decisions.
The “career start” is often summarized as 2011 (qualification and beginning work after graduating), while some sources note her longer association with the hospital during training.
Trial, verdicts, and sentencing (what the court decided)
The Crown Prosecution Service describes the 2022–2023 trial as covering attacks on babies on the Countess of Chester neonatal ward in 2015–2016, with the jury returning guilty verdicts on multiple counts on 18 August 2023 and sentencing following on 21 August 2023.
One count (attempted murder of “Baby K”) was later retried. After the retrial, the CPS said the jury returned a guilty verdict on 2 July 2024 and she was sentenced on 5 July 2024 to a further whole life order, bringing the publicly stated total to 15 whole life orders (concurrent).
One reason the case remained highly visible into 2026 is ongoing media attention, including major documentary coverage and continued debate about evidence and process (while the convictions remain in force).
Appeals (what was challenged and what happened)
In May 2024, reporting on the Court of Appeal hearing states the judges refused leave to appeal against the first-trial convictions (seven murders and six attempted murders), bringing that appeal process to an end for those convictions through the ordinary route.
After the 2024 retrial conviction (Baby K), she sought to appeal again; in October 2024, judges refused permission to appeal that attempted murder conviction, with reporting emphasizing the narrow legal issue addressed in that application.
Important nuance: “appeal refused” does not automatically end all possible legal avenues forever (for example, the Criminal Cases Review Commission can, in rare circumstances, refer a case back to the Court of Appeal). But it does mean the ordinary appellate path has been closed unless a later exceptional referral happens.
The Thirlwall Inquiry (what it is, what it covered, and report timing)
The Thirlwall Inquiry is a UK public inquiry examining events at the Countess of Chester Hospital and the broader implications following Letby’s convictions. Official inquiry materials state hearings began with opening statements on 10 September 2024, then heard oral evidence through mid-January 2025, with closing submissions in March 2025.
The official inquiry site later updated its report timetable: a May 2025 update projected publication in early 2026; a November 2025 update revised that to “after Easter 2026,” with a further timetable update due at the end of February 2026.
Thirlwall Report Now Due After Easter 2026
Public inquiries often take longer than their initial target dates because they must process large volumes of evidence and also follow fairness procedures (including warning letters to individuals who may face criticism in the final report).
What happens now (2026)
As of February 2026, several “next steps” are happening in parallel, and they are easy to mix up. Here’s the clearest way to separate them:
1) The convictions and sentence (criminal court outcome)
Letby remains imprisoned under whole life orders, and the CPS has stated she “will never be released” in connection with the convictions and sentencing outcomes it describes.
2) Further charge decisions (separate from the convictions already secured)
On 20 January 2026, the CPS announced it had reviewed additional allegations submitted by Cheshire Constabulary (file received July 2025) and decided no further criminal charges should be brought because the evidential test was not met. Cheshire Constabulary also published an update reacting to that CPS decision and noted ongoing separate corporate manslaughter / gross negligence manslaughter investigations (Operation Duet).
3) The public inquiry report (system accountability)
The Thirlwall Inquiry’s final report is scheduled for publication after Easter 2026, with another timeline update expected at the end of February 2026.
4) Inquests (coroner process)
In early February 2026, a coroner formally opened inquests into the deaths of five babies Letby was convicted of murdering, then adjourned the proceedings until September pending the public inquiry’s progress. Reporting notes the inquests are constrained by law from reaching conclusions inconsistent with the criminal convictions.
5) Ongoing debate and review applications
Separate from the courts and the inquiry, there has been continued public dispute about elements of the evidence and expert testimony, and reporting has discussed potential review routes (including via the Criminal Cases Review Commission). The existence of debate does not change the legal fact that the convictions currently stand—unless and until an authority refers the case back to the courts and a court later overturns findings.
What Reddit Theories Say About the Case
Reddit threads can be useful for collecting links, timelines, and contrasting viewpoints—but they also mix hard sourcing with opinion and speculation. If you use Reddit to follow the case, the safest approach is to treat it as an “index” that points you toward primary documents (CPS statements, inquiry updates, court reporting), then verify everything important.
The Investigation of Lucy Letby - Netflix Documentary MEGATHREAD
Common Reddit discussion themes include: (a) how to interpret expert medical evidence; (b) how much weight to place on statistical “shift pattern” arguments; (c) whether process issues (media coverage, hospital governance failures) affect confidence in the verdicts; and (d) what the inquiry and inquests can and cannot change legally. For the “what can actually change the conviction?” question, court appeal outcomes and any future referral decisions matter most.
FAQ
What is a “whole life order” in simple terms?
In England and Wales, a whole life order means a life sentence with no prospect of release (no minimum term after which parole is possible). CPS statements in this case explicitly frame it as meaning she will never be released.
When did the trial start, and when were verdicts returned?
The CPS states the trial began in October 2022, with verdicts returned on 18 August 2023.
What happened with appeals?
The Court of Appeal refused leave to appeal the first-trial convictions in May 2024, and later refused permission to appeal the Baby K attempted murder conviction in October 2024.
Is there a public inquiry, and when will the report come out?
Yes—the Thirlwall Inquiry. Its official updates say the final report is scheduled for publication after Easter 2026, with another timetable update due at the end of February 2026.
Why did the CPS say “no further charges” in January 2026?
The CPS said it reviewed evidence submitted by police about additional allegations and decided the evidential test was not met, so it would not bring further charges. That decision does not undermine the convictions already secured from the earlier trials, which remain in place.
What do the 2026 inquests mean if there are already convictions?
Reporting indicates the coroner opened inquests into five deaths and then adjourned them, with legal limits on reaching findings inconsistent with the criminal convictions. Practically, inquests can still explore circumstances, timelines, and systemic issues, even when the core criminal responsibility has been decided by the courts.
Primary sources & further reading
- Crown Prosecution Service (case updates): conviction statement (18 Aug 2023) and sentencing context.
- Crown Prosecution Service (retrial outcome): sentencing for Baby K count (verdict 2 Jul 2024; sentencing 5 Jul 2024).
- CPS (20 Jan 2026): “no further charges” decision for additional allegations.
- Cheshire Constabulary (20 Jan 2026): Operation Hummingbird update and note on Operation Duet (corporate/gross negligence manslaughter investigation).
- Thirlwall Inquiry (official): hearing schedule and milestones.
- Thirlwall Inquiry (official): report timetable update (after Easter 2026; further update end Feb 2026).
- Court of Appeal coverage: refusal of appeal attempts (May 2024; Oct 2024).
- Inquests (Feb 2026): coroner opened and adjourned inquests pending public inquiry.
If you republish this post, consider adding a short editor’s note reminding readers that some links/embeds (especially social platforms) can disappear over time; keeping at least the CPS + Thirlwall Inquiry links archived is the best way to preserve the “source-of-truth” record.