Lucy Letby 'makes enemies in prison over disgraceful preferential treatment'

05 December 2023 , 13:28

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Lucy Letby has made fellow inmates furious after she allegedly received preferential treatment in prison (Image: PA)

Lucy Letby has infuriated fellow inmates after being granted new 'privileges' in prison, according to a source.

The former neonatal nurse became Britain's most prolific child killer after she was found guilty of murdering seven babies and deliberately harming six more between June 2015 and 2016. Letby, 33, was handed a whole-life order at Manchester Crown Court earlier this year and is now serving her sentence behind bars.

The serial killer faces a re-trial for one count of attempted murder of a newborn baby girl. She has also applied to appeal all of her existing convictions. While it has not been confirmed where Letby is locked up, it has been reported that she was recently moved from the notorious HMP Low Newton in Durham to the privately run HMP Bronzefield in Surrey. The Prison Service has said it 'cannot comment on individual cases'.

The former nurse is reportedly serving time in HMP Bronzefield with some of the most dangerous female criminals in the UK (PA)

The former NHS worker is reportedly yet to get a prison job and has been moved to a single cell at Bronzefield, where she has an ensuite shower, desk and television to herself. The private TV, it is claimed, has infuriated other inmates, who are generally forced to wait much longer for such privileges. Letby, who was blonde when she was last pictured being arrested, has overhauled her appearance and has been allowed to dye her hair brown in prison, according to The Sun.

A source told the publication: "Letby seems happy as Larry. She is in a nice cell and on her own. The facilities at Bronzefield are much nicer than most jails, because it's privately run." They continued: "She is with prisoners who have earned more rights to watch TV, spend their cash and have visits. It is a disgrace and it's no wonder she's been looking so happy. She seems to be being treated with kid gloves because of who she is."

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When Letby was convicted in August 2023, experts explained what life would be like for her inside prison. Letby likely has 'restricted status' for an inmate, which is considered the female equivalent of Category A - meaning she is the highest-risk threat to the public. "She'll be what's known as a 'restricted status' prisoner," Mark Leech, a prisons expert and editor of The Prison Oracle website told the Telegraph. "She'll be on suicide watch and it will be some time before she gets to mingle with the main prison population - at least six months."

Letby is expected to spend at least 22 hours a day inside her single cell. Due to her confinement, it was previously suggested that she would be encouraged by staff to be mentally stimulated to avoid extreme stress, anger, and frustration. Her life of solitude will be filled with reading stories about others - she will be able to read newspapers, books, and watch TV, but not much else. And for an hour a day, she will be able to exercise, walking the prison grounds.

Letby was blonde when she was arrested and has reportedly dyed her hair brunette in prison (PA)

Professor Yvonne Jewkes, professor of criminology at the University of Bath, said Letby will have a price on her head in prison. "At best, she'll be subjected to extreme bullying and intimidation. At worst, she might be in quite considerable physical danger," she told the Telegraph. Letby will also have very little human contact. "She'll associate mostly with prison officers, her key worker in the prison and one or two cleaners, but much of that interaction will be through the hatch in her cell door," Leech added.

She will, however, be able to speak to her family and receive visits, which will be vetted by police, though they will be few and far between. A convicted prisoner is usually allowed at least two one-hour visits every four weeks. Letby won't be able to receive emails directly, but she can receive messages through the Email a Prisoner service. These are printed out and delivered by prison staff, with each email costing 40p from Letby's prison cash card. There is no limit on the number of letters she can send and receive, however, although most are checked by prison staff.

And when it comes to phone calls, she will only be able to speak to those named on her friends and family list. And this needs to be checked by security. While some may enjoy certain privileges, such as being granted day releases for important events like family funerals, it's said to be "extremely unlikely" that baby killer Letby will ever be permitted any sort of day release.

This means that when the time comes, she will not be able to attend the funerals of her parents, Susan and Jonathan Letby, according to chartered security professional James Bore. Speaking to the Mirror, the director of family consultancy Bores said: "Any day release for parents' funerals, or anything else, would be based on a risk assessment. I find it extremely unlikely that any sort of temporary release would be granted - for her own safety as much as anything else."

Nia Dalton