A doctor who was described as being Lucy Letby’s boyfriend at her trial died on the anniversary of her arrest.

The consultant, who was granted anonymity and known only as Doctor A, was found collapsed in his car at Whiston Hospital, Merseyside. He died nine days later on July 3, exactly eight years after Letby was arrested at her home in Chester.

The circumstances surrounding his death have not been made public, and an inquest into how he died will take place in February 2027. The doctor is believed to have been seriously ill.

It has been reported by the Daily Mail that Doctor A had recently faced a disciplinary hearing about messages he sent to Letby when they worked together at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Letby, 36, of Hereford, is serving 15 whole life orders for the murder of seven infants and the attempted murder of seven others at the hospital between 2015 and 2016.

It is understood that the messages were found to have breached patient confidentiality and Doctor A was facing dismissal.

‘Exchanged 1,355 Facebook messages’

During the trial, it emerged that Letby and Doctor A had exchanged 1,355 Facebook messages, discussing the clinical conditions of patients, including blood results and prognoses.

In one message, Letby inquired about the condition of Child N, an infant she was convicted of attempting to murder in early June 2016, and asked the doctor whether she had done anything wrong.

Doctor A messaged back saying: “Oh Lucy, poor little thing. I am sure he has had the best care possible, and you will have done everything you could for him.”

Prosecutors argued that Letby was infatuated with Doctor A, pointing to handwritten notes found in her home where she called him her “love” and “best friend”.

During the trial, it was alleged that she intentionally harmed infants to create emergencies that would cause Doctor A to be called to her aid.

Doctor A also supported her when she filed a grievance against other consultants who had accused her of harming babies at the Countess.

Letby denied that Doctor A was her boyfriend, testifying that they were just close, trusted friends.

‘Misled and maybe manipulated’

At the Thirlwall Inquiry in 2024, which is looking into how the deaths may have been prevented, Doctor A said he had felt “misled” and “manipulated” by Letby and had been tricked into giving her information about the babies she attacked.

He said it was a “massive mistake” to help the nurse, and had thought he was helping Letby, who was struggling with her mental health and suffering from anxiety at the time.

At the inquiry he said: “I wasn’t aware of the full clinical picture and I provided support by being misled and maybe manipulated, and for that, I’m really sorry that things have come to the end as they have. I have a lot of regrets about how that period of time took place.”

Since Letby was convicted, dozens of scientists, statisticians, politicians and medics have queried how the evidence was presented to the jury. A panel of 14 world experts in neonatology has produced a report concluding there were no murders, only prematurity and poor care.

Several parents have also since come forward to talk about substandard care at the hospital.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which looks into potential miscarriages of justice, is deciding whether to send the case back to the Court of Appeal.

Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service insist that Letby had a fair trial, and say the Court of Appeal has already turned down her case twice.