Revealed: Incredible details of the VERY intimate friendship between Lucy Letby and her married doctor ‘boyfriend’ – as questions begin to swirl about whether his sudden death is linked to her ongoing case
Developed over time first seen 1 month ago
A doctor anonymised during Lucy Letby’s trial, and described by prosecutors as a close friend whom Letby had called her “best friend” and “love”, has died aged 53. Reports say he was found collapsed in his car, was admitted to intensive care and died nine days later on 3 July 2026. His identity remains protected. The circumstances and medical cause of his death have not been publicly established; an inquest is expected in February 2027. Reports that he had recently faced an NHS disciplinary process concern allegations that have not been independently detailed in public records.
The relationship was explored during Letby’s trial because of messages and notes recovered during the investigation. Letby denied that the married doctor was her boyfriend, describing him instead as a close friend, while the prosecution characterised her feelings as infatuation. His death does not itself establish any connection to Letby’s criminal case, and no public authority has alleged one. Letby remains convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of seven others. Separately, in August 2026 the CPS upheld its decision not to bring further charges over six additional alleged attempted murders after an independent review.
- An anonymised doctor linked to evidence at Letby’s trial has died; an inquest is pending.
- Public reporting has not established the cause of death or a connection to Letby’s case.
- Letby’s convictions stand; the CPS recently upheld a decision not to bring further charges.
Full account
A doctor who was identified during Lucy Letby's trial only as "Doctor A", and who prosecutors said the former neonatal nurse had become infatuated with, has died. Reports say he was in his fifties and had been unwell for some time before his death, with his passing said to have occurred roughly a month before it became publicly known. Letby is currently serving 15 whole-life orders after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016; she continues to protest her innocence.
Accounts of the circumstances vary in detail. One report states that the consultant was found collapsed in his car at Whiston Hospital in Merseyside and died nine days later, on 3 July — coincidentally eight years to the day after Letby's arrest at her home in Chester. An inquest into his death is reportedly not expected to take place until February 2027, and the precise cause has not been disclosed. Separately, it has been suggested he had recently faced a disciplinary process over messages exchanged with Letby, understood to have concerned breaches of patient confidentiality, which was said to place his job at risk.
During Letby's trial, jurors heard that she and the doctor had exchanged more than 1,300 messages on Facebook, ranging from everyday conversation to detailed discussion of the clinical condition of infants on the neonatal unit, including one exchange in which he reassured her over the care given to a baby she was later convicted of trying to kill. Prosecutors argued this exchange reflected an infatuation on Letby's part, pointing to handwritten notes in which she referred to him as her "best friend" and her "love", and alleging she engineered medical emergencies partly to draw him to her side. He also gave her support when she raised a grievance against senior colleagues who had raised concerns about her conduct. Letby has always disputed that he was her boyfriend, maintaining in evidence that theirs was a close but platonic friendship. Giving evidence at the subsequent Thirlwall Inquiry into the case, the doctor said he felt he had been "misled" and "manipulated" by Letby, describing his decision to help her as a "massive mistake" made while believing he was supporting a colleague struggling with anxiety, and expressing regret at how matters had ended.
His death has prompted renewed debate over the anonymity order protecting his identity, with the Conservative MP and long-standing critic of the conviction, David Davis, suggesting such orders would likely be reconsidered should the case return to court, though he said the death itself was unlikely to alter the wider picture. The development comes shortly after the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it was upholding its earlier decision not to pursue further charges against Letby. Following a review requested by the families of six babies under the Victims' Right to Review scheme, the CPS said an independent prosecutor had re-examined the evidence but found the original January decision — that a further nine allegations, including two deaths, did not meet the evidential test — should stand. The CPS said it had written to the families concerned and would offer to meet them to answer further questions.
Where outlets differ
One outlet reports the doctor died in his fifties after a prior illness, with the death becoming public roughly a month later, and centres its story on MP David Davis's comments about anonymity orders potentially being revisited at any retrial.
Another outlet gives a much more specific account: that he was found collapsed in his car at Whiston Hospital and died nine days later on 3 July, the eighth anniversary of Letby's arrest, and adds that an inquest is scheduled for February 2027 and that he had reportedly faced a disciplinary hearing and possible dismissal over messages to Letby that breached patient confidentiality — details not mentioned in the other account.
Only one source includes direct quotations from the doctor's evidence to the Thirlwall Inquiry, in which he described feeling manipulated by Letby.
The CPS statement (source three) stands apart as an official comment focused solely on the outcome of the Victims' Right to Review process for six babies, without addressing the doctor's death at all; the other reports link the two stories together, with one raising unproven speculation about a possible connection between his death and the case.
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