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

For years, his identity was hidden behind a court order. Now, after his sudden death, the doctor once described in court as Lucy Letby’s “boyfriend” has finally been named.

Dr Mark Deakin, a married father-of-two and consultant paediatrician, had been protected by an anonymity order when he gave evidence during Letby’s trial.

But on Wednesday, September 2, the Court of Appeal lifted the reporting restrictions following his death at the age of 53.

The decision means the man previously referred to only as “Dr A” can now be publicly identified.

And the revelations surrounding his relationship with Letby are once again attracting intense attention.

WHO WAS MARK DEAKIN?

Deakin was a consultant paediatrician who worked alongside Letby at the Countess of Chester Hospital during the period covered by her criminal convictions.

During Letby’s trial, prosecutors suggested that she had developed a strong emotional attachment to the doctor.

Letby herself rejected the description of Deakin as her boyfriend.

She described him instead as a trusted friend.

But evidence presented in court showed that the two exchanged numerous messages, while colleagues had noticed what one nurse described as flirting between them.

Letby also referred to Deakin as “sweetie” in messages, and handwritten notes recovered after her arrest contained references to him and the phrase “love was all we needed.”

MORE THAN 1,300 MESSAGES

The extent of their communication became even clearer during the later Thirlwall Inquiry.

Investigators found that Deakin and Letby exchanged 1,355 Facebook messages over approximately three months in 2016.

Some of those communications involved confidential information concerning babies who were being treated at the hospital.

One particularly serious issue involved Baby N, a premature boy whom Letby was later convicted of attempting to murder.

Deakin subsequently told the public inquiry that he believed Letby had misled and possibly manipulated him into sharing information about babies involved in the investigation.

He described supporting her as a “massive mistake” and said he had many regrets about his involvement.

THE ALDER HEY CONNECTION

After leaving the Countess of Chester, Deakin continued his medical career and later worked at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

While there, he arranged observational visits for Letby after she had been removed from clinical duties at Chester.

Those visits later became a major part of an internal investigation.

Alder Hey eventually found that Deakin had committed gross misconduct, including breaches involving patient confidentiality.

He was dismissed from the hospital in June 2026.

THEN CAME THE SHOCKING FINAL DAYS

The timing of what happened next has drawn considerable attention.

According to reports, Deakin was dismissed on June 23.

The following day, June 24, he was found unconscious inside his car at a retail park roughly 20 miles from his home in Cheshire.

He was taken to hospital and admitted to intensive care.

Nine days later, on July 3, he died.

The circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly established, and an inquest is expected to examine what happened.

There is no public finding that his dismissal caused his death. The timing is known, but the circumstances remain a matter for the coroner.

WHY WAS HIS IDENTITY HIDDEN?

Deakin had been granted anonymity because he was a witness during Letby’s criminal proceedings.

That protection remained in place for years.

But after his death, Associated Newspapers applied for the restrictions to be lifted.

Lord Justice Singh ruled that the original justification for protecting Deakin’s identity no longer applied once he was no longer alive, while also acknowledging representations made by his family.

The court emphasized the principle of open justice and the media’s right to report fairly on court proceedings.

His identity can therefore now be published.

LETBY’S REACTION TO HIS EVIDENCE

One of the most dramatic moments involving Deakin came when he entered the witness box during Letby’s trial.

Because of the anonymity order, he gave evidence from behind a screen.

Letby reportedly broke down in tears and attempted to leave the dock when he appeared.

Prosecutors questioned her about the nature of their relationship and suggested that Deakin had been an important emotional focus for her.

Letby rejected the suggestion that he was her boyfriend.

She maintained that their relationship was one of friendship and trust.

A MAN CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

The revelations paint a complicated picture of Deakin.

He was a married father of two and an experienced medical professional.

At the same time, his relationship with Letby became significant enough to feature prominently in her criminal trial and later in the public inquiry examining what happened at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The inquiry also examined how Deakin interacted with Letby after concerns about her had already emerged.

He later acknowledged that he had made serious mistakes.

But his role must also be kept in perspective.

Letby’s convictions were based on a broad body of evidence involving numerous clinicians and staff members; Deakin’s testimony was not the sole foundation of the prosecution case.

NOW HIS NAME IS PUBLIC — BUT MANY QUESTIONS REMAIN

Mark Deakin spent years known to the public only as “Dr A.”

Now his name, photograph and professional history can finally be reported.

But his story has become intertwined with one of the most notorious medical criminal cases in modern Britain.

He was the doctor Letby was accused of becoming emotionally attached to.

He was the colleague who exchanged thousands of messages with her.

He was the consultant later investigated over his conduct and dismissed by Alder Hey.

And he was the man who was found unconscious in his car just one day after losing his job.

Nine days later, he was gone.

An inquest is expected to examine the circumstances of his death.

Meanwhile, the wider scrutiny surrounding Lucy Letby continues, with her convictions under examination by the Criminal Cases Review Commission and the Thirlwall Inquiry preparing to publish its final findings.

For years, Mark Deakin’s identity was hidden.

Now the mystery surrounding “Dr A” finally has a name.