GB News fury as presenter defends killer Lucy Letby's sentencing no-show
GB News presenters are divided over whether Lucy Letby should have been forced to appear at her sentencing hearing today, following the nurse being found guilty of the murder of seven babies and trying to kill six more.
Eamonn Holmes, who hosts the channel's breakfast programme, said Letby has "forfeited" any human rights she once had and argued the 33-year-old should have been made to attend Manchester Crown Court to listen to victim impact statements and be present when Mr Justice Goss delivers her sentence.
Prior to Letby's sentencing hearing beginning - which neither the former nurse or her parents have attended - GB News star Bev Turner said during her show: "I don't want to live in a country where we drag people into court against their will." The former This Morning contributor's comments has sparked a furious debate on social media as people wait to learn how many years Letby will spend in jail.
Letby, from Hereford, stood trial after being accused of deliberately harming the infants in various ways, including by injecting air intravenously and administering air and/or milk into the stomach via nasogastric tubes. It was also claimed by the prosecution she added insulin as a poison to intravenous feeds, interfered with breathing tubes, and inflicted trauma in some cases.
Lucy Letby did not attend her sentencing at Manchester Crown Court today (Cheshire Constabulary via Getty)
GB News presenter Eamonn Holmes argued the former nurse should have been forced to attend (Getty Images)Last week, a jury found Letby guilty of murdering seven babies and tried to kill six more while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit between 2015-2016. Her sentencing is currently taking place in Manchester, where she could receive a whole-life order for her crimes.
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Speaking on GB News this morning, host Eamonn argued Letby should be made to face the court today, just hours before it was confirmed the 33-year-old wouldn't be in attendance for her sentencing. Speaking with investigations consultant Oliver Laurence, Eamonn said the "new trend" for defendants to be allowed to miss their sentencing is "something that should be really hit on the head and not tolerated."
"As a Western democracy we have some level of human rights which is important to remember as a fundamental," Laurence explained on the show. "Reasonable force obviously has to be proportionate." Eamonn said for him, Letby's human rights "goes out the window for me". He argued: "That wasn't reasonable for us in what she did in murdering those children. I think she's forfeited any rights."
Later on the channel, presenter Bev Turner and guest Piers Pottinger continued the debate over whether should be forced into court against her will to hear her sentence. Bev, who used to regularly appear on ITV show This Morning, admitted she felt "a little bit queasy" about how prisoners could be physically forced to attend their sentencings.
Bev said she was more interested in how Letby 'was able to get away with this for so long' (GBNEWS/Twitter)"That's not what we do in this country," Bev said on her show. "Our judiciary is the envy of the world and I don't think I want to live in a country where we drag people into court against their will. It would look awful, wouldn't it? On a world stage..." Bev continued to muse live on-air.
Piers disagreed with Bev, replying: "I'm afraid I disagree with you Bev, as this is the sort of wave society is going - we're spending far too much time giving everyone the benefit of the doubt. This woman Letby deserves no sympathy and no benefit of any doubt after what she's done.
"I agree with all that, of course," Bev replied. "We need to learn all the lessons from this. I'm much more interested in how she was able to get away with this for so long. Nobody wanted to upset her, nobody wanted to offend her - everyone was frightened to offend that women in that NHS hospital."
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Bev's comments sparked a backlash on social media when GB News shared a segment from the discussion, with one Twitter user writing: "I think if the parents of the dead children want Letby to face them, she must do so. Her wishes aren't relevant. She lost her rights when she murdered the first baby."
"NO Bev Turner she should be dragged into court and MADE to face the conduct of her despicable behaviour. She committed these heinous acts now take the punishment," another furiously tweeted, as a third added: "Shouldn’t be up for discussion she didn’t care about the about the rights of the babies to live."
Other Twitter users sided with Bev and saw her point of view, with one writing: "To respect someone's rights, especially when guilty, is the mark of a civilised society. It does not require sympathy of any kind." Another added: "I do not do this often but I do agree with @beverleyturner on this one, and it is the law. Why we are obsessed with this it reminds me of sticking heads on pikes on the town gates."
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