‘HER MYSTERY BOYFRIEND’ FINALLY NAMED — THE MARRIED FATHER LINKED TO LUCY LETBY IS REVEALED FOR THE FIRST TIME

For years, one man at the center of the Lucy Letby story could only be referred to as “Dr A.”

Now, his identity can finally be reported.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Mark Deakin, a married father of two, has been publicly named after the Court of Appeal lifted the reporting restrictions that had protected his identity during Letby’s criminal trial. The decision came after Deakin’s death earlier this year.

But his name is only one part of a complicated story.

Deakin worked alongside Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital during the period covered by her convictions. Prosecutors later portrayed him as a man she was deeply emotionally attached to, while Letby herself maintained that they were simply close and trusted friends.

The pair exchanged more than 1,300 Facebook messages, and evidence presented during the trial showed that they also spent time together outside the hospital.

Letby referred to Deakin affectionately in messages and handwritten notes found after her arrest. Prosecutors suggested that her feelings toward him may have been significant to the events surrounding some of the babies in her case.

Letby denied that she was romantically involved with him.

When Deakin eventually entered the witness box, Letby reportedly became visibly emotional and attempted to leave the dock. He gave evidence from behind a screen because of the anonymity order protecting him.

THE ALDER HEY CONNECTION

The story took another extraordinary turn after Deakin moved to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

In December 2016, after Letby had been removed from frontline neonatal duties at the Countess of Chester amid concerns raised by senior colleagues, Deakin arranged observational visits for her at Alder Hey.

The visits later became the subject of a formal investigation.

According to the investigation, Letby was allowed to attend ward rounds, clinics and other hospital activities. She also attended a presentation involving insulin, while hospital paperwork stated that she was not supposed to have direct contact with patients.

The investigation also examined messages between Deakin and Letby concerning Baby N, a premature infant whose care later became part of Letby’s criminal case.

Deakin eventually acknowledged that he had breached patient confidentiality.

He told the Thirlwall Inquiry that, in hindsight, he had shared too much information and said he believed he had been misled or manipulated by Letby.

HEN CAME THE DISMISSAL

After an 18-month investigation, Deakin faced a disciplinary hearing at Alder Hey.

On June 23, 2026, he was dismissed for gross misconduct.

The investigation concluded that he had likely been aware that colleagues had raised concerns about Letby, while also finding that he had inappropriately accessed Baby N’s medical records.

Deakin disputed some of the findings and maintained that he had not understood the full extent of the concerns surrounding Letby when he arranged her visits.

Just one day after his dismissal, events took another unexpected turn.

Deakin was found unconscious inside his car at a retail park roughly 20 miles from his Cheshire home. He was taken to hospital and placed in intensive care.

He died nine days later.

An inquest into his death is expected to examine what happened. His death itself has not been presented as evidence of wrongdoing, and no connection between his death and Letby’s case has been established.

WHY HIS NAME CAN NOW BE PUBLISHED

During Letby’s trial, Deakin was protected by an anonymity order because of concerns surrounding his privacy and family.

Following his death, Associated Newspapers applied for the restriction to be lifted, with The Times supporting the application.

Lord Justice Singh ruled that the justification for continuing the anonymity order no longer applied and emphasized the principle of open justice and the media’s right to report court proceedings fairly.

The court also considered representations from Deakin’s family.

That ruling means the man once known publicly only as “Dr A” can now be identified as Mark Deakin.

And his newly revealed identity adds another remarkable chapter to a case that continues to generate questions about what happened inside the Countess of Chester Hospital — and what those around Letby understood at the time.

Letby remains imprisoned after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others. Her convictions remain in force, while the Criminal Cases Review Commission continues to examine her case.

Meanwhile, the Thirlwall Inquiry is preparing to publish its final report on September 15, 2026, potentially bringing further scrutiny to the decisions made by hospitals and officials before Letby’s crimes were fully exposed.