Category Archives: Cheshire

Lucy Letby likely to have harmed other babies, doctor tells inquiry

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Consultant who raised concerns says there could have been earlier victims she has not been convicted of killing

Lucy Letby was likely to have harmed more babies than those she has been convicted of murdering on a hospital neonatal unit, a senior doctor has told a public inquiry.

Dr Stephen Brearey, a consultant paediatrician who raised concerns about the nurse, told the Thirlwall inquiry he believed Letby “didn’t start becoming a killer” in June 2015 and that she may have had earlier victims.

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Mike Amesbury urged to resign as MP after ‘bridge row’ altercation

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Witness reportedly says Runcorn and Helsby MP and second man were arguing about temporary bridge closure

The Labour MP who punched a constituent in the early hours of Saturday morning has been urged to resign, as it was reported that the pair rowed over the closure of a local bridge.

Mike Amesbury was suspended from the party over the weekend and has had the whip withdrawn after videos emerged of the altercation in Frodsham, in his constituency in Cheshire.

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Labour suspends MP Mike Amesbury after video appears to show him punching man

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Footage appears to show MP for Runcorn and Helsby knocking man to ground before aiming six more blows at his head

Labour has suspended the whip from the MP Mike Amesbury after footage appeared to show him punching a man to the ground, the party said.

A video published by the Mail appeared to show Amesbury, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, hitting the man in the face and knocking him to the floor, before standing over him and aiming six more blows at his head.

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Cheshire MP ‘will cooperate’ with police after reports of alleged assault

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Labour’s Mike Amesbury says he felt ‘threatened’ after footage appears to show him berating man lying on road

The MP Mike Amesbury said he will “cooperate with any inquiries” police have as officers investigate reports of an alleged assault involving the Labour backbencher in Cheshire.

Amesbury, 55, said an incident on Saturday had left him feeling “threatened” after footage circulated online appearing to show him berating a man who was lying on the road before a bystander pushed him away.

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Lorry plummets 60 metres from a bridge on M6 in Cheshire

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Driver is not thought to have serious injuries after vehicle fell from Thelwall viaduct between junctions 21 and 21

A lorry has fallen 60 metres (200ft) from a bridge on the M6 in Cheshire, and police have advised motorists to avoid the area.

The vehicle plummeted from the Thelwall viaduct between junctions 20 and 21, landing on the embankment below, Cheshire constabulary said. The driver of the lorry is not believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

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Lucy Letby victims’ families call for CCTV on neonatal wards

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Lawyer for relatives says Thirlwall inquiry into case of killer nurse, due to begin next week, is ‘vitally important’

Families of some of Lucy Letby’s victims are calling for CCTV on neonatal wards, tighter control of insulin in hospitals and more protection for NHS whistleblowers, their lawyer has said before a public inquiry begins next week.

The Thirlwall inquiry, which starts on Tuesday, has been set up to examine what happened at the Countess of Chester hospital, where Letby worked. She has been convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more while based there as a neonatal nurse.

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Lucy Letby inquiry should be postponed or changed, experts say

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Group including neonatal experts and statistics professors question its setup amid concerns about conviction

A group including some of the UK’s leading neonatal experts and professors of statistics is calling on the government to postpone or change the terms of a public inquiry over concerns about the conviction of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby.

In a private letter to ministers, seen by the Guardian, the 24 experts said they were concerned that the inquiry’s narrow terms could prevent lessons being learned about “possible negligent deaths that were presumed to be murders” in the neonatal ward of the Countess of Chester hospital (CoC).

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‘Ingrained in our heritage’: UK’s ancient oaks showcased in Tree of the Year contest

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Woodland Trust’s competition comes as charity campaigns for more robust legal protection for precious trees

An oak tree shaped like an elephant and the oak with the widest girth in the UK have been shortlisted for the annual Tree of the Year competition.

The Woodland Trust runs the annual competition to raise awareness of the UK’s ancient and at-risk trees.

Marton oak, Cheshire
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Approximate age: 1,200 years / Girth: 14.02 metres.

Bowthorpe oak, Lincolnshire
English oak (quercus robur) / Estimated age: 1000 years / Girth: 13.38 metres.

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Lucy Letby found guilty of trying to kill two-hour-old baby

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Former neonatal nurse convicted on retrial after jury at original trial was unable to reach verdict

Lucy Letby has been found guilty of trying to kill a two-hour-old baby girl on the hospital ward where she murdered seven other infants.

The “cold-blooded, calculated killer”, who is serving 14 whole-life prison terms, was convicted on Tuesday of attempting to murder the “extremely premature” infant after a retrial at Manchester crown court.

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Father and son in Scottish Highlands probably died from fall, police say

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Bodies of Tom and Richie Parry identified as Gemma Parry pays tribute to ‘caring and loving father’ and ‘energetic, loving boy’

A father and his 12-year-old son who were found dead after going missing in the Scottish Highlands probably died as the result of a fall, police have said. Tributes have been paid to Tom Parry, 49, and his son Richie, from Cheshire, who did not return home on Wednesday after visiting Glen Nevis and Glen Coe to go hillwalking.

Their car was found in the Three Sisters car park in the area on Tuesday, and at about 7.25pm on Wednesday rescuers recovered two bodies from Stob Coire nan Lochan, Glen Coe.

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Family of Brianna Ghey murderer apologise and pay tribute to mother

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Scarlett Jenkinson’s relatives thank Esther Ghey for ‘incredible selflessness and empathy towards our family’

The family of Scarlett Jenkinson, who was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years for the murder of Brianna Ghey, have said they are “truly sorry” for the teenage killer’s “brutal” actions and paid tribute to Brianna’s mother.

Jenkinson, described by the judge as the “driving force” behind the murder, was sentenced on Friday for what the Crown Prosecution Service said was “one of the most disturbing cases” its lawyers had ever dealt with. Her accomplice, Eddie Ratcliffe, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

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‘Thought it would be fun’: why did two teenagers kill Brianna Ghey?

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Scarlett Jenkinson said killing was ‘exciting’ while Eddie Ratcliffe wanted help to woo a girl he fancied, court hears

One question hung over the trial of the two teenagers convicted of killing Brianna Ghey: why? At the sentencing on Friday, Brianna’s family finally received some answers.

The hearing began with some startling new information: though she had pleaded not guilty at trial, Scarlett Jenkinson had now admitted to stabbing Brianna repeatedly – more times than she could remember. It was “a lot”, she said.

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Brianna Ghey’s teenage murderers named ahead of sentencing

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Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16, killed trans schoolgirl after developing ‘warped’ obsession with torture

Two teenagers who murdered Brianna Ghey have been named for the first time before sentencing.

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16 and described by police as “really intelligent kids”, can now be named as the killers after a judge lifted reporting restrictions.

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Man who stole Duke of Westminster’s watches given suspended sentence

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Decorator Matthew Turner stole three watches worth more than £30,000 from Hugh Grosvenor’s bedroom

A decorator who stole three watches worth more than £30,000 from the Duke of Westminster’s home has been told he “escaped prison by the skin of your teeth”.

Matthew Turner, 24, was given a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years, at Chester crown court after admitting the burglary of three watches from Hugh Grosvenor’s bedroom while he was doing renovation work at Eaton Hall in August 2022.

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‘I can’t celebrate 2023 now’: Jack Grealish ‘devastated’ by burglary

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  • Manchester City midfielder says experience was ‘traumatic’
  • Robbers reportedly took £1m worth of jewellery and watches

Jack Grealish has spoken of his devastation and the “traumatic experience” of burglars targeting his home. Raiders struck at the England and Manchester City midfielder’s Cheshire mansion during his club’s Premier League match at Everton on Wednesday.

Members of Grealish’s family and his fiancee, Sasha Atwood, were reportedly watching the televised match at the property when they heard a disturbance. An alarm was raised and an emergency response was launched with a helicopter, police dogs and a number of officers sent to the property near Knutsford, but no suspects were detected.

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Teenagers guilty of ‘senseless’ murder of transgender girl Brianna Ghey

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Murder-obsessed 16-year-olds convicted of killing girl who was stabbed 28 times in Warrington park

Two 16-year-olds have been found guilty of the “senseless” murder of Brianna Ghey, a “witty, funny and fearless” transgender girl who was stabbed 28 times in a Warrington park this year.

The murder-obsessed teenagers, known as Girl X and Boy Y to protect their identities, were found guilty unanimously by a jury at Manchester crown court on Wednesday after it deliberated for four hours and 40 minutes.

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Cheshire East council says it faces bankruptcy due to HS2 link cancellation

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Local authority covering some of richest areas in England says it spent £11m preparing for rail line

A council in one of the wealthiest parts of the UK has warned it faces potential bankruptcy due to the “devastating” impact of cancelling the northern leg of HS2.

Leaders of Cheshire East council in north-west England said the authority had spent £11m preparing for the high-speed rail link, and this would now have to be written off. Most of this money – £8.6m – had been funded by borrowing and would now have to be funded from the council’s already stretched revenue budget.

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