A new Netflix documentary around Lucy Letby could spell trouble for the convicted baby killer behind bars. This is according to Francesca Fattore, who once lived on the same wing as the former neonatal nurse in HMP Bronzefield.
Letby is serving 15 whole-life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more. Her crimes took place at her former Countess of Chester Hospital workplace between 2015 and 2016. New footage will air in the documentary today (February 4) showing the moment the killer is arrested at her home. Viewers are also given a glimpse into the former nurse’s bedroom.
Letby’s parents have slammed the documentary as a “complete invasion of privacy”, but one former inmate of the jail she is now residing in believes there are more serious consequences for the killer.
She is believed to be staying in a unit known as House Block 4 which is where lifers are held, along with inmates who are placed there for good behaviour and can enjoy having a shower in their cell.
This was the case for Francesca who left prison five years ago after doing time for drug offences. During her stint in jail, Francesca was present for when a Channel 5 documentary aired about Joanne Dennehy. The murderer is infamously known as “Britain’s most dangerous female prisoner” after killing three men in a depraved 10-day rampage in Peterborough in 2013.
She said the show “relit the fire” and Francesca believes the same may happen to Letby, who could be subjected to more bullying and abuse.
Francesca explained: “The problem is this could bring up raw feelings in the prison again with her if it is negative towards her. It can cause her to get so much abuse all over again if the dust had settled for her.”
Ever since Letby was convicted of her crimes, doubts have been cast over her conviction, and The Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates possible miscarriages of justice, is considering evidence from an international panel of doctors who blame poor medical care and natural causes for the deaths.
However, lawyers for the victims’ families concluded that it was “full of analytical holes” and a “rehash” of defences that were already rejected in court.
But Francesca believes that if some prisoners access the documentary, which she claimed was possible, and they are ultimately swayed by it, then it “could be like she is starting her sentence again and have to deal with all the bullying”.
She added: “The girls will know because people talk from the outside to prisoners, especially knowing Letby is in the same prison as their friend or family member. There are a lot of phones in prison so definitely it would be something that some of them could watch.”
During her time on House Block 4, Francesca had an adjoining cell to the “UK’s hated mum” Mairead Philpott who was caged for her part in setting fire to her home where her six children were killed.
She also rubbed shoulders with Dennehy and speaking about the time a documentary was released about her, she recalled: “When I was in Bronzefield, when Joanne Dennehy’s documentary was coming on, everyone was talking about it, so it relit the fire.
“If anyone didn’t know who she was, obviously then they would learn about who she was. Basically, what they done, because it was on Channel 5, they shut down the channel that night.”
However, she added that it led to copious amounts of gossiping. She continued: “So it does set off a lot of conversations which then can, say for example someone else has come in the prison, or she [Letby] is getting left alone a little bit, what it will do is it will stir all the s*** back up again.”
As for whether others would try to physically harm Letby, Francesca said most inmates would be too wary on that specific wing, but that shouting abuse through cell doors could be likely.
She said: “People will be mindful who live on there because it is the only House Block that has showers so people won’t want to get kicked off it really.
“But if she is walking down it she is going to get shouted at and all that stuff again, I’m assuming, I’ve been out of prison five years next month so a lot of stuff could have changed.
“But from my experience, that is what it will be.”
Francesca, who had a life-changing conversation with Kate Middleton behind bars, went down a troubled route when she started taking and selling drugs from a young age in Reading.
However, since her release in February 2021, she has supported former female offenders and raised awareness about the prison system on her YouTube channel.
And speaking about her most haunting memory of Bronzefield in previous chat with this reporter, she said: “The worst thing for me that stood out was the self-harming and the mental health in there for me. Hearing the girls screaming all night long because they are mentally insane.
“It’s not an act, it’s not someone kicking off, they would scream from nine at night until six in the morning and you can’t do that unless you are mentally ill.”
The Investigation of Lucy Letby looks at the media attention from the trial, the social media frenzy ever since and the doubt some have cast about who was responsible for the baby deaths.
