Latest news with #HMPBronzefield
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Lucy Letby's life behind bars revealed – from £33-a-week to spend on chocolate & TWICE as many visits as other prisoners
LUCY Letby's enhanced prisoner status gives her a staggering £33 a week to spend on sweets and chocolate. The former nurse can also receive twice as many visits as other prisoners, after being fast-tracked from standard status. 5 5 5 Letby was convicted of killing seven babies and for attempting to murder another seven. She is now imprisoned in unit four of the only purpose-built private prison in the UK - HMP Bronzefield. Now an enhanced prisoner, Letby is given £33 a week to spend in the prison canteen where regular prisoners are only given £19.80. Some prisoners are bumped down to basic status as a punishment, which gives them only £5.50 per week. All prisoners are given status reviews every 28 days, but Letby has retained her enhanced position throughout her time at HMP Bronzefiled. A source told the MailOnline that the killer nurse was upgraded because of fears that she may be attacked by other inmates. The source said: ' Lucy is reserved and very quiet, she isn't really a problem with staff. 'It grates with officers though - she's committed the worst crimes possible and here she is on the enhanced unit with all the benefits that come with it. 'Again the real reason she is here is safety, she would be attacked on any other unit.' Letby reportedly has shared a cell with a former prison officer who was jailed after having sex with an inmate. I defend baby killers like Lucy Letby – bombshell new theory could FREE her but I know real truth… & it's NOT medical Linda De Sousa Abreu, Letby's cell mate, was fast-tracked to privileged status for her own protection since she is a former guard. Abreu worked at the famous prison HMP Wandsworth in London. Letby has been in police custody since November 2020 and was handed a 'whole life order' in August 2023. The inmate is the fourth woman in British history to be given no hope for parole after committing her string of chilling murders. Letby has been found to have targeted 17 babies whilst at large between June 2015 and June 2016. Her first confirmed victim was a boy born in June 2015, who, despite being born prematurely, was described as being "stable". Letby came on shift at 7.30pm that same day and, by 8.26pm, the boy's condition was "deteriorating rapidly". He died twenty minutes later after air was deliberately injected into his bloodstream. That boy's twin sister became ill just 28 hours later after "purple blotches" broke out across her body - symptoms shared with her brother. Thankfully, that baby survived. 5 However, another two babies died under the nurse's care that same month - one of which ingested air and the other being killed when air was injected into her bloodstream. More babies - including one in on 4 August and another on October 23 - died from incidents involving air while at Letby's hospital. Finally, Letby was found to have killed two more babies on June 23 and 24 2016. The killer nurse was arrested on July 3, 2018, and faced a three-year court battle before finally being jailed for life. She had been working at the Countess of Chester Hospital while at large. Despite her conviction, Letby insists that she is innocent and several high profile politicians have called for her case to be re-examined. Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said that, although the victim's family must be at the 'forefront' of politician's minds, there is 'doubt on what actually happened'. He added: 'They are not conspiracy theories dredged up from far-flung reaches of the internet.' The former health secretary and Tory chancellor said that 14 paediatric specialists ruled that the deaths of the babies had been down to natural causes.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Baby-killer Lucy Letby given special prisoner status days into life sentence
Former nurse Lucy Letby is said to be living on a prison unit with "all the benefits" after being granted special status just days into her whole life sentence at HMP Bronzefield Child killer Lucy Letby is said to be raking in extra privileges like more cash to spend on treats and extra time out of her cell that allows her a weekly visit. The former neonatal nurse is serving a whole life order for the murder of seven babies, as well as the attempted murder of seven more between 2015 and 2016. Just days into her sentence at HMP Bronzefield, Letby was fast-tracked to an enhanced prisoner status. According to an insider, she was given the upgrade to ensure her safety among other prisoners in different units. "Lucy is reserved and very quiet, she isn't really a problem with staff," they told MailOnline. "It grates with officers though - she's committed the worst crimes possible and here she is on the enhanced unit with all the benefits that come with it. Again the real reason she is here is safety, she would be attacked on any other unit." Letby was moved straight from her induction to Unit Four - a wing reserved exclusively for enhanced inmates, according to a prison source. No matter the crime, all prisoners are automatically given standard status after sentencing, but Letby is believed to have been swiftly fast-tracked. Her privileged status also means she now has a cleaning job and is entitled to a weekly visit - double the allowance for regular prisoners. Roughly a quarter of inmates at Bronzefield are classified as enhanced. Letby shared the unit with former prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, who was jailed after being caught on camera having sex with a prisoner. She too was fast-tracked to Unit Four - reportedly for her own protection - after serving as a guard at HMP Wandsworth. Enhanced prisoners are allowed to spend £33 a week in the prison canteen. Standard-status inmates get £19.80, while those on "basic" punishment status receive just £5.50. A 2023 menu from HMP Chelmsford shows some of what's on offer: Kinder Bueno bars for 60p, Snickers for 80p, and cans of Pepsi for 59p. Letby, 35, is one of just four female prisoners in the UK to be handed a "whole life order", which she received in August 2023. It came after her conviction for murdering babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. As she continues to maintain her innocence, her case has drawn the attention of high-profile figures - including former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has called for it be reviewed. In the wake of her sentencing, the Thirlwall inquiry was also set up to investigate how the crimes were allowed to happen. Hunt said the most disturbing evidence came from 14 paediatric specialists, who ruled the deaths or injuries of the newborns happened as a result of natural causes or errors in medical care. "It pains me to say it - this analysis raises serious and credible questions about the evidence presented in court," he said. The Mirror has contacted the Ministry of Justice and HMP Bronzefield for comment.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE What life is REALLY like for Lucy Letby behind bars: £33 a week to spend on sweets and chocolate, more time outside her cell...and TWICE as many visits as other prisoners
Lucy Letby was fast-tracked to enhanced prisoner status that allows her to have extra cash to spend on treats like sweets and chocolate and more time outside her cell, the Mail can reveal. Letby has been given a cleaning job and her privileged status allows her a visit every week – twice as many as standard prisoners, a source said. All prisoners, regardless of their crimes, are automatically given standard status when they arrive following their sentencing. But the former neonatal nurse convicted of killing seven babies and attempting to murder seven more was moved straight from her induction at HMP Bronzefield to the prison's unit four, the source said. The unit is solely for enhanced prisoners, who make up roughly 25 per cent of the jail's population. She shared the unit with a married former prison officer jailed after she was filmed having sex with an inmate, the source said. Linda De Sousa Abreu, 31, was also fast-tracked straight to the unit for her own protection – given she was a former guard at HMP Wandsworth in southwest London. As an enhanced prisoner, Letby is permitted £33 a week to spend in the prison canteen, whereas standard prisoners have £19.80 and those placed on 'basic' as a punishment are allowed just £5.50. The canteen menu is standardised across Britain's prisons and one from HMP Chelmsford from 2023 shows Kinder Bueno chocolate available for 60p, Snickers Bars for 80p and 59p for a can of Pepsi. Status reviews take place for prisoners every 28 days but it is understood Letby has remained enhanced since she arrived at Bronzefield. A prison source said the real reason she had been upgraded is because she would not be safe from other prisoners anywhere else in the jail. 'Lucy is reserved and very quiet, she isn't really a problem with staff,' they said. 'It grates with officers though - she's committed the worst crimes possible and here she is on the enhanced unit with all the benefits that come with it. 'Again the real reason she is here is safety, she would be attacked on any other unit.' A Ministry of Justice spokesman said they could not disclose information on individual prisoners. Letby, 35, has been in custody since November 2020 but was given a 'whole life order' in August 2023. She only the fourth female criminal in British history to have no hope of parole following her conviction for killing the babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital. Letby maintains her innocence, and high profile figures including former health secretary Jeremy Hunt have called for her case to be re-examined. Following her sentence, the Thirlwall inquiry was launched into how she was able to commit the crimes. Writing in the Mail, Mr Hunt insisted he was not saying Letby was innocent and that the pain of the victims' families 'must also be at the forefront of our minds.' 'But most of all they deserve the truth,' he said. 'And recently some have begun to cast doubt on what actually happened. 'They are not conspiracy theories dredged up from far-flung reaches of the internet.' Mr Hunt, health secretary between 2012 and 2018, said the most disturbing evidence was from 14 paediatric specialists who ruled that the deaths or injuries of the newborns were down to natural causes or errors in medical care. 'Taken together - and it pains me to say it - this analysis raises serious and credible questions about the evidence presented in court,' he added.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Investigations into sexual harassment in prison soars four-fold as female inmate warns abuse is ‘rife'
The number of prison staff being investigated for sexual assault or harassment has surged almost 400 per cent, as a former female inmate reveals she was forced to complain about a 'creepy' male officer. A total of 237 prison staff in England and Wales faced allegations of sexual harassment or assault between January 2022 and March 2024, according to Ministry of Justice figures obtained by Channel 4. Only 63 of these were recommended for dismissal. This is compared to 49 investigations in a similar period ten years ago. Beatrice Auty, who was jailed for money laundering, fears sexual harassment is 'rife' inside prisons and called for better investigations into wrongdoing. The 28-year-old struggled with a male officer who made 'advances' and commented on her appearance when she was being held inside Britain's biggest women's prison, HMP Bronzefield in Surrey. Despite making a complaint, he was allowed to continue working on her wing while under investigation, she said. She alleges the man – who was in his 40s - was 'renowned' for having inappropriate relationships with female prisoners at the jail, which is operated by private contractor Sodexo. 'You just have to mention his name and people just shudder,' Ms Auty told The Independent. 'The officer I approached to complain called him a creep. 'And even when I put in a complaint it took about four or five months to get a response which wasn't even dated and it just said the matter has been dealt with and we are satisfied that's all we need to do.' She said she would notice him spending time inside another woman's cell with the door closed, adding: 'I didn't think anything of it until he made comments about me saying he wanted to come in my cell and making comments about my appearance.' She continued: 'He started by just making comments about the way I look and making advances. He would come and see me all the time even when there was nothing happening with my case. 'It was getting to the point where he was suggesting he wanted to meet on the outside.' She believes the officer, who had a lot of influence over her sentence progression, became 'hostile' when she did not reciprocate. The day after she submitted a formal complaint about his behaviour, she was transferred to a different prison. Since leaving Bronzefield she has spoken to other women who claim they were bought clothes by the same officer. Ms Auty, who is now studying criminology and is a member of the Prison Reform Trust's advisory board, wants more transparency and says complaints should be independently investigated. She alleged it was common knowledge among inmates that staff were simply moved to another block if they had inappropriate relationships with prisoners, adding it is a 'clear abuse of power' as many female prisoners are vulnerable and have experienced sexual abuse on the outside. 'If this was a job if you went to HR about harassment, you would hope that someone would deal with it properly and investigated but in prisons it just seems that this behaviour is acceptable because they can do what they like because who cares about prisoners,' she added. 'But it is definitely wrong in my mind, the worst of the worst because there's so many vulnerable people in there that don't know that it's wrong. 'You are completely powerless in there. You feel like things you wouldn't tolerate on the outside, you feel like you just tolerate them because you can't do anything about it.' Ms Auty, who was sentenced to 42 months in 2023 for smuggling millions in cash from London to Dubai, is sharing her experience in a new Channel 4 documentary UK Prisons Exposed - Sex, Drugs & Corruption: UNTOLD, streaming from Wednesday 25 June. The documentary, presented by former prisoner David Navarro, uncovered the surge in complaints of sexual harassment and abuse via Freedom of Information request. It comes after The Independent last month revealed the number of prison officers investigated for inappropriate relationships with inmates has almost tripled in five years. Figures from prisons in England and Wales show a surge in staff investigated for corruption, with those probed for relationships with prisoners up from 51 in 2020 to 144 last year. Only 30 of the prison officers probed for inappropriate relationships in 2024 faced sanctions classed as 'management or above outcomes', which include criminal charges, dismissal, transfers, formal warnings or regradings. It follows a series of high profile convictions, including former governor of HMP Kirkham, Kerri Pegg, who was jailed for nine years for having a relationship with a male prisoner. In January, Linda De Sousa Abreu was jailed for 15 months after she was filmed having sex with an inmate inside HMP Wandsworth just five months after she was recruited to the prison service. A Prison Service spokesperson said:"While the vast majority of prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the small minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting."We take all allegations of harassment or discrimination extremely seriously, and do not hesitate to take immediate action where allegations are substantiated." An HMP Bronzefield spokesperson said: 'Whilst we cannot comment on individual cases, we do want to make clear that we are fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure environment for both prisoners and staff. 'Complaints from prisoners are taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and followed by appropriate action where necessary.' A Prison Service spokesperson added: 'While the vast majority of most prison staff are honest, we are catching more of the small minority who break the rules through our Counter-Corruption Unit and stronger vetting. 'Where officers fall below our high standards, we do not hesitate to take robust action.'
Daily Mirror
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Serial killer Rose West struggling to make friends with fellow inmates
She was asked to wear a bright yellow jumper in prison to highlight that she was at risk of attack from other inmates Rose West has not had a visitor 'in years' as she serves a whole life term for murder. The serial killer has also been shunned by fellow inmates despite trying to make friends by baking cakes and treats for lifers behind bars. Insiders have told how she always has a guard by her side when she moves around prison, including visits to the chapel to pray. Before she suffered from ill health, she even went on the treadmill at the prison gym in Low Newton jail in Co Durham, before her move to HMP New Hall near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. "She has not had a visitor in years" according to one insider. She was asked to wear a bright yellow jumper behind bars to highlight that she was at risk from other prisoners, who would threaten to attack her and spit in her food. And she was nicknamed 'Baker Rose' or 'Ma Baker' when she was allowed to "bake cakes for fellow inmates." Canoe woman Anne Darwin told in her memoir 'Out of My Depth' and how she was mistaken for the mass murderer when she served time for fraud alongside her in Low Newton jail. She recalled: "I was on the treadmill when I became aware of someone getting onto the machine next to me, so I turned to say good morning. "But as I looked round, there was the plump and rather squat figure of notorious serial killer Rose West, with the usual attendant officer close by, just a few feet from me. "She didn't say anything, just stared straight ahead and carried on walking. I thought to myself, now there's a sight you don't see every day." She added: "There was hatred among the inmates for people, like Rose, who'd been a part of such barbaric killings. "Whenever she left her cell, a prison officer was always detailed to her for her own protection and, at least when she first arrived, she had to wear a bright yellow jumper or top to mark her out as a high-profile/ high-risk prisoner. "She was known as 'Baker Rose', because one day a week she was allowed to bake cakes on the wing. I went to the chapel whenever there was a Catholic mass, which was always on a Saturday, and occasionally Rose would turn up with her officer in tow." Rose West, now 71, was jailed for life in 1995 for murdering ten women and girls with husband Fred in Gloucester. She calls herself Jennifer Jones after changing her name by deed poll in 2020, but everyone knows her real identity at the women-only HMP New Hall near Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Her husband, who buried several of the victims at their home in Gloucester, escaped justice by killing himself on remand, aged 53. The couple's horrendous crimes have come back into the spotlight after the release of new Netflix docuseries Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story. She spent 11 years at Durham's Low Newton. It is believed she was moved on after fellow serial killer Joanna Dennehy made threats towards her. Before that she was at HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford, Surrey. However a plot to attack her with a sock filled with pool balls was uncovered and she was moved
