Before Lucy Letby, another UK nurse got life sentences in an eerily similar baby deaths case

Ever since Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital, people have drawn comparisons to another British nurse: Beverley Allitt, and the similarities between them feel eerie.

So, who was Beverley Allitt?

Beverley Allitt was a paediatric nurse who worked at Grantham and Kesteven Hospital in Lincolnshire. In just 59 days between February and April 1991, she murdered four children and attacked nine others. She later became known in the press as the “Angel of Death”.

According to Biography, Allitt harmed her victims by injecting them with insulin or air, and in some cases interfering with medical equipment. Loads of the children suddenly collapsed while in her care, often with no clear medical explanation.

Her first victim was seven-month-old Liam Taylor. He suffered respiratory problems and later went into cardiac arrest while Allitt was on duty. Two weeks later, 11-year-old Timothy Hardwick died after being admitted with cerebral palsy-related complications.

She later targeted two-month-old twins, Katie and Becky Phillips. Becky died after being discharged, and suspicions really started building from there.

It wasn’t until 15-month-old Claire Peck died in April 1991 that hospital staff began seriously linking the incidents. After that, an investigation was launched.

via BBC Select

How was she caught?

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Police searched Allitt’s home and found missing nursing notes and keys connected to hospital supplies. She was arrested in November 1991 and charged with murder, attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.

During her 1993 trial, a paediatric expert told the court her behaviour was consistent with Munchausen syndrome by proxy. However, Allitt never admitted the crimes and pleaded not guilty. She was convicted in May 1993 and sentenced to 13 life sentences.

A week into her sentence, she stopped eating and drinking and was transferred to Rampton Secure Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility, where she remains. In 2023, as per the BBC, she asked to be moved to a regular prison, but that request was denied.

Why are people comparing her to Lucy Letby?

Like Allitt, Lucy Letby was a nurse working with vulnerable babies. Prosecutors in Letby’s trial said she injected infants with air and insulin, among other methods.

Stuart Clifton, the retired detective who helped convict Allitt, told ITV News in August 2023 that Letby was a “copycat murderer”. He added, “It’s almost like she read the Allitt book.”

However, there is no confirmed evidence that Letby was directly inspired by Allitt. The link is largely based on similarities in how the crimes were carried out and the fact both women worked in hospital settings caring for children.

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