Doctor Linked to Lucy Letby Dies After Dismissal

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Doctor Linked to Lucy Letby Dies After Dismissal

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Dr. Mark Deakin, a 53-year-old married father of two, has been identified after an anonymity order was lifted following his death in July 2026. He was found collapsed in his vehicle at a Cheshire retail park in June 2026, the day after being dismissed from his position at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He was admitted to intensive care and died nine days later, on July 3, 2026.

Dr. Deakin’s dismissal on June 23, 2026, was for gross misconduct, specifically for exchanging messages with former neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, who was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. The messages included confidential details about a premature baby boy, referred to as Baby N, whom Letby was convicted of attempting to murder in June 2016.

During Letby’s trial, prosecutors described Dr. Deakin as her “boyfriend,” alleging an intense emotional fixation on him, with over 1,300 Facebook messages exchanged between June and September 2016. Letby, however, maintained they were “best friends” and denied a romantic relationship.

The investigation into Dr. Deakin’s conduct, initiated in January 2024, also found that he had facilitated “observational visits” for Letby at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in 2017, where he later worked as a locum consultant, despite concerns already being raised about her involvement in infant deaths. He also improperly accessed Baby N’s medical records. In October 2024, Dr. Deakin testified at the Thirlwall inquiry, stating he believed he had been “misled and maybe manipulated” by Letby into sharing information about the babies she had attacked.

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