LONDON

Former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby has been found guilty of attempting to murder a premature baby named Baby K just two hours after her birth, British media said on Tuesday.

This conviction comes after a retrial at Manchester Crown Court, following her previous convictions last year for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six others.

During the retrial, the prosecution detailed how Letby, 34, displaced Baby K's breathing tube, which was a critical lifeline for the infant born at just 25 weeks gestation.

Dr. Ravi Jayaram, a consultant pediatrician, testified in court that he saw Letby standing by the infant's incubator, doing nothing to help as her blood oxygen levels plummeted.

An alarm that should have sounded remained silent, raising additional suspicion, he said, adding that despite the baby's initial recovery, her breathing tube was displaced twice more that night.

The prosecution argued that the nurse attempted to make it appear as if the infant displaced the tube herself.

Baby K was subsequently transferred to a specialist neonatal unit but tragically she died three days later.

Letby, who denied any intent to harm Baby K, claimed to have no recollection of the incident but maintained, "I know I did nothing to interfere."

This conviction adds to Letby’s existing sentences, which include 14 whole-life orders handed down last August.

Mr. Justice Goss of the Manchester Crown Court described Letby as conducting a "cruel, calculated, and cynical campaign of child murder involving the smallest and most vulnerable of children," noting a "deep malevolence bordering on sadism" in her actions.

The motivation behind her actions remains unclear.

During her original trial, the prosecution suggested that Letby derived pleasure from "playing God" and the subsequent drama of medical staff rushing to save the babies she attacked.