Lucy Letby, the UK’s most prolific child serial killer of modern times, will be sentenced later after being found guilty of murdering seven babies.

At the Countess of Chester Hospital, the 33-year-old attempted to kill six other infants.

It is believed to have been the longest murder trial in the UK, lasting more than 10 months.

The hearing will not be attended by her.

According to her legal team, she also does not want to watch proceedings via videolink from prison; the reason for her non-attendance at Manchester Crown Court is unknown.

Letby will not hear the families’ victim impact statements, which describe how a crime affected them and their families.

Her sentence will also not be explained by the judge, Mr Justice James Goss, in his sentencing remarks. During Friday’s verdicts, Letby – who deliberately injected babies with air, forced fed others milk, and poisoned two with insulin between June 2015 and June 2016 – refused to appear in court.

All verdicts had to be returned before they could be reported, but they had been delivered over several hearings.

As the jury’s foreman read out the first guilty verdicts on 8 August after 76 hours of deliberation, Letby broke down in tears.

When the second set of guilty verdicts were announced on 11 August, she cried with her head bowed.

Due to last week’s refusal to attend court, renewed calls have been made for a new law to compel convicted criminals to attend sentencing proceedings.

The absence of Letby is the latest in a string of high-profile trials where convicted murderers have refused to appear, including the killers of Zara Aleena in London and nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.

According to former prison governor Ian Acheson, judges should have the power to bring criminals into the courtroom “to be sentenced in front of their victims”.

It was announced earlier this year that the government was committed to introducing legislation to ensure criminals appear in court for sentencing. On Friday, Letby, who deliberately injected babies with air, force fed others milk, and poisoned two of the infants with insulin between June 2015 and June 2016, refused to appear in court.

All verdicts had to be returned before they could be reported, but they had been delivered over several hearings.

As the jury’s foreman read out the first guilty verdicts on 8 August after 76 hours of deliberation, Letby broke down in tears.

When the second set of guilty verdicts were announced on 11 August, she cried with her head bowed.

Due to last week’s refusal to attend court, renewed calls have been made for a new law to compel convicted criminals to attend sentencing proceedings.

The absence of Letby is the latest in a string of high-profile trials where convicted murderers have refused to appear, including the killers of Zara Aleena in London and nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool.

According to former prison governor Ian Acheson, judges should have the power to bring criminals into the courtroom “to be sentenced in front of their victims”.

This year, the government announced it would introduce legislation to ensure criminals face sentencing in court.