In January 2017, accusing doctors and consultants were asked to apologize, and mediation was suggested. So in May 2017, stymied by hospital administration, Dr. Stephen Brearey and others involved in the internal investigation turned to Cheshire Police. At that time, Lucy Letby was still employed at the hospital. Stephen Brearey and Dr. Ravi Jayaram told Detective Superintendent Paul Hughes that there was always an explanation when a premature child collapsed, but none had been found for the suspicious incidents at Countess of Chester. So began Operation Hummingbird.
Though the deaths stopped once Letby left the ward could have been coincidental, in-depth reports from outside experts and pathologists affirmed what was long suspected: These deaths and injuries could only have been intentional. To determine who may be to blame, Cheshire police turned to the one piece of evidence earlier reports had pointed to: Letby was the only nurse on duty when each child died or went into crisis, and she was often alone with the newborn when it happened.
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Letby was finally arrested on July 4, 2018. Once in custody, among other evidence recovered from her home was a handwritten note seeming to admit her guilt. “I killed them on purpose because I’m not good enough to care for them … I AM EVIL I DID THIS,” it read. Letby pleaded not guilty to all charges against her. (In a contradiction, the handwritten note recovered also mentioned innocence, as Letby pointed out at her trial.)
