“Calculating, cunning, cruel, cowardly” headlines the Metro as it carries some of the words used to describe serial killer nurse Lucy Letby at her sentence hearing, where she was given a whole life order – meaning she will spend the rest of her life in prison. One mother, who lost one baby to Letby and whose other baby the neonatal nurse attempted to murder, described her as a “coward” for failing to attend the sentencing hearing.
The mugshot of Letby also features on the Scottish Daily Express front cover. The paper focuses on the most prolific child serial killer in modern British history parting with “one final act of wickedness” by not attending her hearing. The Express says she “refused to attend court and face her victims’ distraught parents”.
The i similarly reports on demands for the government to force convicts to attend their sentencing hearing and listen to the “devastation of victims”. Ministers, it says, are under pressure to order a full statutory inquiry, which can compel witnesses to attend, rather than progress with the announced non-statutory inquiry.
The Scottish Daily Mail describes a “pitiless stare” as it splashes on a mugshot of Letby. It leads with the words of grieving Child D’s mother who said in a victim impact statement: “Those lives were not yours to take… there is no forgiving, not now, not ever.”
The Scottish Sun also leads with Letby’s custody shot as it too headlines on her “final act of wickedness”. It quotes Mr Justice Goss saying there was a “malevolence bordering on sadism” in Letby’s actions.
The Times uses another picture of Letby, this time smiling with a drink in hand. According to the paper, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk says the government wants to change the law “at the earliest opportunity” to force “the worst offenders to attend court to face justice”.
A smiling Letby with baby in hand features on the front of the Daily Telegraph. The paper describes the victim impact statements by the parents as “nothing short of heart-breaking”. The paper also runs a story on Sir Keir Starmer claiming he could not afford to go to university if he was 18 now. It says his comments suggest the party could soon announce policies to help students with rising rents if Labour wins the general election.
The Herald reports that thousands of people in Scotland are at risk of becoming ill because they are not switching on their heating when it gets cold, according to a study carried out by Which? It found 87% of Scottish respondents to the UK-wide survey said they were cutting back on energy to reduce costs.
The Daily Record says a powerchair footballer left behind a “shocking dossier” of bullying allegations before his death. James Doull accused coaches of a bullying campaign but an investigation found “no evidence” to support the claims, the paper says.
Former first minister contender Kate Forbes makes the front page of The Scotsman for comments made during an Edinburgh Fringe live recording. The SNP MSP said people in rural communities question why Scottish Greens co-leaders Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater have more say on their local economy than they do, the paper reports. It adds that Ms Forbes called the Green ministers “urban-centric environmentalists”.
The Press and Journal has more on the SNP-Greens rift as it says SNP MSP Fergus Ewing is “leading the fight” against the Scottish government’s plan to phase out fossil fuel burners – which he says pose a “serious risk” to rural communities. Mr Ewing is behind a cross-party letter calling on the government to reconsider the plan, the paper reports.
The National leads with criticism of Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner after she said Holyrood “wouldn’t need” employment law powers should the party win the next general election. It quotes former Scottish Labour general secretary Michael Sharp who accused the UK party of “betraying” devolution.
A watchdog has found that NHS Tayside failed to comply with government guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports The Courier.
The Edinburgh Evening News leads with “soaring” demand for property lets which it says has left tenants “locked out”.
The Glasgow Times leads with severe dampness in a 71-year-old’s home in the city’s Mosspark – the paper says the “disgusting” conditions are affecting the woman’s health.
A woman told the Evening Telegraph her “world collapsed” after an off-road biker killed her dog.
The Evening Express leads with a man who was jailed after going on a “shop rampage” – a clip of the man swallowing PAVA spray was viewed 2.4 million times on social media.
And “there’s a big row brewing,” says the Daily Star of Scotland as it reports Britons see the traditional cup of tea as being seen as “outdated”, with most preferring coffee.
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