A childhood friend of Lucy Letby has told how there were no clues the 'goofy', 'kind' woman was an evil serial killer after she was today found guilty of seven murders and six attempted murders.

Letby is now the UK's most prolific child killer as the government announces an independent inquiry into the deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital in Cheshire, with police to look at up to 4,000 children who she had a role caring for.

But despite her heinous crimes, childhood friends of the nurse, who they describe as 'the kindest person [they've] ever met' continue to stand by her and refuse to believe she has done any harm to any babies.

Dawn, a friend who has known Letby since they attended Aylestone Secondary School in Hereford together, told BBC Panorama all of her friends are supporting her.

She said: 'Unless Lucy turned around and said I’m guilty I will never believe that she’s guilty.'

Children's nurse Lucy Letby went on a year-long killing spree while working at the Countess of Chester Hospital

Letby's childhood friend Dawn (pictured) told Panorama she still stands by the killer, who she described as the 'kindest person' she'd ever met

Letby - wearing a blue hoodie with the strings covered in pink glitter - is taken from her house in handcuffs after being arrested by Cheshire Police

The jury spent more than 110 hours deliberating the charges against Letby, but her friends believe police were 'looking to find someone culpable' for the rising mortality rate at the hospital.

Letby refused to enter the courtroom to hear the final verdicts on Friday, where she has been resolutely supported by her parents throughout the 10-month trial.

Her mother was said to have been so distressed upon her arrest that she begged officers: 'Take me instead'.

Dawn said: 'We know she couldn’t have done anything that she’s accused of, so without a doubt we stand by her.

'I grew up with Lucy and not a single thing that I’ve ever seen or witnessed of Lucy would let me for a moment believe she is capable of the thing’s she’s accused of.

'It is the most out of character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy. Think of your most kind gentle soft friend and think that they’re being accused of harming babies.'

Dawn told BBC journalist Judith Moritz that Letby had always wanted to be a nurse and had had a difficult birth herself.

She said it was the only career her friend had ever mentioned, adding: She was very grateful to be alive to the nurses who helped save her life.'

She also accused police of 'trying to build a case, to find someone culpable to find someone to blame' as she maintained Letby's innocence.

The serial killer was described as appearing shy and reserved, but would 'let her hair down' and be 'goofy' and 'bubbly' when around close friends - who she told not to come to court to support her.

It came as the parents of twin boys, Baby E and Baby F, told the programme Letby is a 'hateful human being' who 'feeds off others' pain.'

Letby was described as 'goofy' and someone who would make her friends laugh

Dawn said she would never believe Letby's guilt unless she admitted it herself

Letby in the dock at Manchester Crown Court on the morning of August 10

Childhood friend of murderous nurse Lucy Letby says there were no clues her 'goofy' friend was Britain's worst child serial killer

WHAT WAS LETBY CONVICTED OF? Count 1 - Murder of Baby A on June 8, 2015 - GUILTY Count 2 - Attempted murder of Baby B between the June 8, 2015 and June 11, 2015 - GUILTY Count 3 - Murder of Baby C on June 14, 2015 - GUILTY Count 4 - Murder of Baby D on June 22, 2015 - GUILTY Count 5 - Murder of Baby E on August 4, 2015 - GUILTY Count 6 - Attempted murder of Baby F on August 5, 2015 - GUILTY Count 7 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 7, 2015 - GUILTY Count 8 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - GUILTY Count 9 - Attempted murder of Baby G on September 21, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 10 - Attempted murder of Baby H on September 26, 2015 - NOT GUILTY Count 12 - Murder of Baby I on October 23, 2015 - GUILTY Count 15 - Attempted murder of Baby L on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 16 - Attempted murder of Baby M on April 9, 2016 - GUILTY Count 17 - Attempted murder of Baby N on June 3, 2016 - GUILTY Count 20 - Murder of Baby O on June 23, 2016 - GUILTY Count 21 - Murder of Baby P on June 24, 2016 - GUILTY Advertisement

Letby murdered Baby E before attempting to kill his twin just 24 hours later. Luckily, Baby F survived but he now has lifelong, complex needs due to the attack Letby inflicted upon him.

The twins' mother said Letby was 'faffing about' and told her 'don't worry' after she heard one of her babies screaming and saw him with blood around his mouth before his death on August 4.

She said Letby told her the registrar had been called and 'not to worry', before telling her to return to the ward.

Baby E's father initially tried to calm his wife and reassured her that the staff caring for their baby were experts.

He became scared when a second phone call told him to 'get here now', before a third in which staff informed him that a priest had been called.

He said: 'I knew. You don’t call a priest unless someone’s dying.'

Doctors initially said that Baby E died of a bowel condition exacerbated by his premature birth - and his death was not believed to be suspicious so no post-mortem took place. But during the trial medical experts concluded differently, saying he died of internal bleeding and air being injected into his bloodstream.

The babies' mother, who attended court throughout the trial, told how the courtroom was 'such a highly emotional and charged place to be in and sit in.'

She added: 'I think she’s feeding off it, I think she’s feeding off other people’s pain.'

Baby E was the fourth of seven killed by Letby from June 2015 to June 2016 - she attempted to murder six other babies.

Since the verdicts, which also included clearing Letby of three counts of attempted murder, criticisms have been raised after it was reported medics raised concerns about her possible link to the deaths as early as summer 2015.

The trial was told that 'an association' with Letby being on shift when babies collapsed or died was first made as early as June 2015, after the first three infants were killed. Concerns were raised with Ms Kelly again four months later, in October, and then raised again with her, and medical director Ian Harvey, in February 2016.

TV medic Dr Ravi Jayaram, who regularly appears on the BBC's One Show and ITV's This Morning, told the jury that he and his fellow consultants were 'fobbed off' by management and nothing was done.

While Letby's motive is not clear, the prosecution suggested she got a 'thrill' out of 'playing God'. She is pictured on a night out

A note found in Letby's house which read in capital letters: 'I AM EVIL I DID THIS'

In another note, Letby had scribbled a jumble of words, with phrases like 'love', 'I can't do this anymore' and 'help me' written on it

Even in June 2016, following the deaths of Baby O and his fellow triplet Baby P, hospital bosses initially refused to intervene.

READ MORE: Revealed: The disturbing text messages Lucy Letby sent at the time she was murdering and harming innocent babies Advertisement

The neonatal unit's lead paediatrician, Stephen Brearey, rang Karen Rees, the duty executive in urgent care, to say he didn't want Letby to come into work the following day, but she turned him down.

She was later taken off active care for three months after a group of clinicians continued to try and speak with bosses about their concerns, before they were even made to apologise to Letby.

Late in 2016, she had been due to return to the intensive care ward in just six days when police were finally called about the string of deaths.

Dr Ravi Jayaram, senior paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said he and other doctors warned NHS managers of concerns about Letby months before police were called.

He said executives ordered him to 'draw a line' under his worries and he was even told to apologise to Letby in a mediation meeting, ITV News reports.

Dr Jayaram said: 'I do genuinely believe that there are four or five babies who could be going to school now who aren't.'

Doctors were advised to apologise or face a possible referral to the general Medical Council.

Dr Ravi Jayaram (pictured) said concerns were reported to NHS bosses at Countess of Chester Hospital months before police were called

No babies died between when Letby was removed from the unit in July 2016 and when police were called in by the hospital in May 2017.

During this period, the trust chief executive was Tony Chambers and the medical director was Ian Harvey.

When police raided her home, they found piles of medical notes and documents, as well as multiple notes in which Letby wrote frantic comments including 'I killed them' and 'I haven't done anything wrong'.

They also recovered a substantial number of messages from Letby's phone which showed she regularly sent texts to colleagues after the baby deaths, while also pursuing a close relationship with one of the doctors on the ward.

Dr Jayaram said Chambers held a meeting with consultants in January 2017 in which he stated: 'I'm drawing a line under this, you will draw a line under this, and if you cross that line, there will be consequences for you.'

Hospital executives are alleged to have doctors they would face 'blue and white tape' all over the ward if they followed their suggestion of calling police.

Speaking outside the hospital today, medical director Dr Nigel Scawn said: 'I speak for the whole trust when I say how deeply saddened and appalled we are at Lucy Letby's crimes.

'We are extremely sorry that these crimes were committed at our hospital and our thoughts continue to be with all the families and loved ones of the babies who came to harm or died. We cannot begin to understand what they have been through.

'This case has had a profound impact on our patients and our local community and also our staff, who come to work every day determined to provide safe and high quality care for all of our patients.

'Our staff are devastated by what has happened and we are committed to ensuring that lessons continue to be learned.

'We are grateful for the co-operation of our staff, especially those that have maintained the utmost professionalism while giving evidence in this trial.'

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