The Jury's Out: Jury Considers Verdicts in Trial of Lucy Letby

The jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of Lucy Letby.

The 33-year-old neonatal nurse stands accused of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of ten more. In total she is accused of 22 offences in relation to those 17 babies.

The alleged offences took place on the neonatal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

The trial, presided over by High Court Judge Mr Justice James Goss, began at Manchester Crown Court in October 2022.

The jury of eight women and four men will now spend the next hours and days considering the voluminous evidence put before the court.

At this stage the Judge will be seeking a unanimous verdict, but he may later direct that a majority verdict is acceptable.

Legislation requires that at least 2 hours is given before a majority direction can be given, but in a trial as lengthy and complex as this the Judge is likely to wait much longer. A majority verdict in the Crown Court can be either 10-2 or 11-1 when all 12 jurors are deliberating.

Once deliberations have started the jury is prohibited from receiving any further evidence. It can, however, ask the Judge for clarification and reminders.

In that eventuality, the Judge will discuss the request with the prosecution and defence advocates. The jury might then be returned for any direction or clarification to be given in open court.

When the jury will return its verdicts is anyone's guess, but given the weight of evidence it is likely to be days rather than hours.

I will write further once the jury reaches its verdicts.