i morning briefing: Lucy Letby faces life behind bars

Welcome to Monday’s Early Edition from i.

At Manchester Crown Court this afternoon, Lucy Letby could be handed a whole-life sentence for the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six more. It will make her the fourth woman in British history to receive such an order, which would mean spending the rest of her life behind bars. It’s not yet clear whether the 33-year-old former nurse will be in attendance at the court, having previously indicated she had no intention of returning to the dock. Trial judge Mr Justice Goss said he has no power to force her to turn up, raising fresh calls for a new law to force criminals to face their punishment in court. Today’s proceedings start at 10am, and will hear victim personal statements as well as other legal submissions before the judge begins his sentencing. Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland said: “She [Letby] needs to hear the victim’s personal statements, as impact statements that will really bring home I think, to the wider world, the appalling devastating impact of the loss of these innocent children, these innocent babies, have had upon dozens of families.” Letby’s attendance is just one of many questions that have been raised in the aftermath of her guilty verdict. Could there be other cases? And what shape will an inquiry take? We’ll take a look at those, after the headlines.

Today’s news, and why it matters

The next generation of Lionesses face a postcode lottery in accessing free top-level training at Football Association centres, i can reveal. Last summer, as the England women’s team charged towards their Euro 2022 triumph, the FA announced that it would replace 28 existing regional talent centres and 10 advanced coaching centres with emerging talent centres.

HMRC has paid out over £509,000 to people providing evidence about tax fraud over the past year, an increase of 75 per cent from the £290,000 paid five years ago, according to research. Despite the increase, it said the payments to informants is small given the size of the UK tax gap.

Tory centrists have urged Rishi Sunak not to abandon a focus on the economy heading into the next election as polling showed Conservative voters don’t see “anti-woke” policies as a priority. A large majority of voters – including 72 per cent of Tory supporters – believe that “political correctness and woke issues” should not be at the forefront of Mr Sunak’s strategy in the run-up to the next general election, new polling suggests.

Classes on the menopause inspired by antenatal courses that are offered to mothers-to-be are being developed by experts. Those behind the National Menopause Education and Support Programme said they hope it will give women reaching menopausal age a better understanding of changes happening in their bodies, as well as peer support from others going through a similar experience.

A review into the treatment of people wrongfully convicted of crimes and made to pay prison “bed and board” should expand to consider reimbursing all who have fallen foul of the policy, a Labour MP has said. The recent case of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison after his wrongful conviction for rape, has shone a light on the treatment of innocent people who are jailed.

A 10-year-old girl who was found dead in Surrey was known to the authorities, the county council has confirmed. Police launched a murder probe after Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking on 10 August after a 999 call from Pakistan by a man identifying himself as Sara’s father, Urfan Sharif.

Three pressing questions over the Lucy Letby case:

Will she appear in person? The former nurse had refused to be present in court last Friday when the second lot of verdicts were returned, and, through her legal team, said she had no intention of returning to the dock. The trial judge said the sentencing hearing would take place whether she is present or not but added he had “no power to force her to attend … therefore there is nothing I can do about it.” Former justice secretary Robert Buckland said on Sunday that his suggestion “would be to make sure that there was a live link beamed into the cell of the sound and/or send pictures to ensure that Letby has nowhere to hide and in fact has to listen to what the judge is saying about the case.” Her refusal to attend has renewed calls for the law to be changed to force criminals to attend their sentencing. Earlier this year, Thomas Cashman, who was jailed for life for the murder of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel, refused to enter the dock and face her family. At the time, an MoJ source said: “Olivia Pratt-Korbel and her family weren’t able to hide from Thomas Cashman’s crime – so he shouldn’t be able to hide from justice,” while calling for a change in the law.The family of murdered aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena whose killer Jordan McSweeney refused to leave his cell for sentencing last year have also been campaigning for a change to the law. However, a Government source told the PA news agency that “lawful enforcement” could be used as a last resort to ensure Letby attends. They said: “Lucy Letby should be in court to hear society’s condemnation of the enormity of her crimes, expressed by the judge. If that requires the use of lawful enforcement, so be it. If she continues to refuse, that will only strengthen our resolve to change the law as soon as we can.”

Could there be other cases? Police have said they are reviewing the care of 4,000 babies who were admitted to the Countess of Chester hospital, and also Liverpool Women’s Hospital when Letby had two work placements, going as far back as 2012. Last week it emerged that Cheshire Police believe she may have carried out further attacks on babies. Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes said team investigating were committed to scrutinising the “entire footprint” of her career. And last night the Guardian reported that detectives had identified about 30 babies who suffered “suspicious” incidents at the Countess of Chester hospital but all survived. A source told the paper Letby was understood to be on duty for each of these unexplained collapses.

Will the government-ordered inquiry be enough? The case has raised a whole raft of other questions over the case including why it took so long to investigate the neonatal nurse. On Friday, the Government announced it was ordering an independent inquiry to examine the circumstances surrounding the murders and how concerns raised by clinicians were dealt with. Steve Barclay said: “This inquiry will seek to ensure the parents and families impacted get the answers they need. I am determined their voices are heard, and they are involved in shaping the scope of the inquiry should they wish to do so.” But as Ian Birrell points out here, the non-statutory nature of the inquiry means key figures can duck attempts to discover the truth. Lawyers representing families of some of the babies say a non-statutory public inquiry into the killing spree is “inadequate”. They have raised concerns that the non-statutory inquiry will lack “real teeth”, as it does not have the power to compel witnesses to give testimony or demand evidence. Richard Scorer and Yvonne Agnew of Slater and Gordon, who are representing two of the victims’ families, said in a statement that the current scope of the inquiry was “not good enough”. Slater and Gordon also called for the Government’s inquiry to investigate how the NHS’s duty of candour scheme had “failed”, with “managers seemingly prioritising the hospital’s reputation above child safety”. Read the full story here.

Around the world

 Donald Trump has confirmed he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate, and possibly future ones too. Writing on his Truth Social platform, the former US president said: “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!”

Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall along Mexico’s Baja California coast on Sunday, lashing the area with 70mph winds as it barrelled towards the US sparking fears of deadly flash flooding. Forecasters have warned of life-threatening and “catastrophic” flooding in the US South West.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has welcomed Denmark and the Netherlands’ commitment to give F-16 fighter jets to the nation “to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence”. Dutch PM Mark Rutte confirmed on Sunday the dispatch of the planes would go ahead “as soon as possible”, once pilots and engineers had received training.

A US shop owner was shot dead after a dispute over a Pride flag displayed outside her business, police say. Laura Ann Carleton, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene in her Mag Pi shop in California, on Friday.

British expats living in Brussels, the city synonymous with the European Union, say they felt “devastation and desolation” after Brexit – and have now joined a flood of people obtaining alternative passports. Diana Kanter, 71 and from Surrey, told i she wanted a new passport after Brexit to beat queues at the airport – and to feel European again.

 Watch out for…

 Northern Ireland, where a man charged with possessing documents likely to be useful to terrorists will appear in court following the data breach affecting the PSNI. 

 Thoughts for the day

 Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer’s condescending messages to the Lionesses quickly looked ridiculous. It’s as if the only way they can relate to women’s achievements is through the prism of their female relatives, argues Ian Dunt.

While Prince William disappoints, young boys are treating women’s football with the seriousness it deserves. Many of us never questioned the idea that men’s football was the default sport, but young people are undoing decades of toxic stereotypes, writes Poorna Bell.

Britney’s divorce is none of our business. When will we stop fretting about women’s personal lives and start engaging with their work, asks Emily Bootle.

 Culture Break

 ‘Comedians are very political now, but they’re not that funny’. Alison Steadman talks travelling the country with her on-screen husband Larry Lamb, the evolution of comedy and Just Stop Oil.

 The Big Read

 Even in defeat, the Lionesses will be remembered like the heroes of 1966, superfans say. The Lionesses were England’s first side to reach a World Cup final in 57 years, writes Colin Drury.

Sport

 The story of England’s 2023 World Cup, from heartache to glory and back again. England’s summer Down Under spanned crushing injuries and recoveries, euphoric knockout victories and a heartbreaking final defeat, reports Katherine Lucas.

 Something to brighten your day

 I kitted out my whole house from secondhand or found items and saved myself a small fortune. Alice Vincent didn’t set out to furnish her home with other people’s cast-offs – she just prefers things that have been ‘around the block’.