A reporting ban was imposed until the jury in her trial at Manchester Crown Court had returned all of its verdicts on the seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder the nurse faced.

Letby, 33, of Arran Avenue, Hereford, was in the courtroom on August 8 when the jury returned its first two guilty verdicts of attempted murder, and then again on August 11 when she was convicted of four murders and another two attempted murders.

However, at the end of the court day on August 11 the defendant did not return to the dock as the jury was sent home for the weekend.

Letby returned to court the following week but her made last appearance in Court Seven on the morning of August 16 when trial judge Mr Justice Goss sent the jury out to continue its deliberations.

More verdicts were returned later that day, in her absence, and again on August 17 when the court heard Letby had indicated to her legal team that she did not intend to return to the dock.

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Letby continued to be produced at court from prison but would not come up from the cells.

Her parents, John and Sue, who had previously attended the trial every day, did not come to court on Friday as the trial ended.

Letby has also indicated she does not wish to follow her sentencing hearing on Monday, August 21, via videolink from prison, the court was told.

The reasons for her non-attendance have not yet been disclosed by the judge.

Mr Justice Goss said: “The sentencing hearing will of course take place whether she is present or not.

“The court has no power to force a defendant to attend at a sentencing hearing, therefore there is nothing I can do in relation to that.”

Earlier this year, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said the Government is “committed” to changing the law so criminals are compelled to attend their sentencing hearings.