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| Lucy Letby: Babies died within 72 hours of nurse's text, jury told | Lucy Letby: Babies died within 72 hours of nurse's text, jury told |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Lucy Letby, 33, is accused of murdering babies on a neonatal ward | Lucy Letby, 33, is accused of murdering babies on a neonatal ward |
| Two babies died and a third collapsed within 72 hours of Lucy Letby telling a colleague she would be "back in with a bang" after her holiday, a court heard. | Two babies died and a third collapsed within 72 hours of Lucy Letby telling a colleague she would be "back in with a bang" after her holiday, a court heard. |
| The neonatal nurse, 33, is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. | The neonatal nurse, 33, is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016. |
| Manchester Crown Court heard Child O and P, two brothers in a set of triplets, died in June 2016. | Manchester Crown Court heard Child O and P, two brothers in a set of triplets, died in June 2016. |
| Ms Letby, from Hereford, denies all of the allegations against her. | Ms Letby, from Hereford, denies all of the allegations against her. |
| Jurors were told the accused was on holiday in Ibiza with friends when the triplets were born. | Jurors were told the accused was on holiday in Ibiza with friends when the triplets were born. |
| In a text message to a fellow nurse ahead of her return to work, Ms Letby said she would "probably be back in with a bang", the court heard. | In a text message to a fellow nurse ahead of her return to work, Ms Letby said she would "probably be back in with a bang", the court heard. |
| Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said "within 72 hours of that text" Child O and P had both died and Child Q - who was unrelated to them - had collapsed. | Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said "within 72 hours of that text" Child O and P had both died and Child Q - who was unrelated to them - had collapsed. |
| Ms Letby accepted there were no health concerns about the triplets, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when they were born. | Ms Letby accepted there were no health concerns about the triplets, who cannot be named for legal reasons, when they were born. |
| She agreed their birth was "big news" on the neonatal unit and that it was the first time she had ever come across naturally conceived triplets in her career. | She agreed their birth was "big news" on the neonatal unit and that it was the first time she had ever come across naturally conceived triplets in her career. |
| Lucy Letby was on holiday with friends in Ibiza when the triplets were born | Lucy Letby was on holiday with friends in Ibiza when the triplets were born |
| Ms Letby denied attacking Child O on her first day back at work in order to gain the attention of a doctor who prosecutors have suggested she "had a crush on". | Ms Letby denied attacking Child O on her first day back at work in order to gain the attention of a doctor who prosecutors have suggested she "had a crush on". |
| She has previously told jurors she was not in love with the registrar - who cannot be named for legal reasons - and they were just friends. | She has previously told jurors she was not in love with the registrar - who cannot be named for legal reasons - and they were just friends. |
| Jurors were told Ms Letby texted him that morning: "Bit rubbish that you couldn't stay on nnu (neonatal unit). | Jurors were told Ms Letby texted him that morning: "Bit rubbish that you couldn't stay on nnu (neonatal unit). |
| "You may get time for lunch though if on clinic." | "You may get time for lunch though if on clinic." |
| Mr Johnson asked her: "Were you disappointed he was not there?" | Mr Johnson asked her: "Were you disappointed he was not there?" |
| She said: "Yes, I enjoyed working with [the doctor]." | She said: "Yes, I enjoyed working with [the doctor]." |
| Mr Johnson said: "Were you missing him?" | Mr Johnson said: "Were you missing him?" |
| Ms Letby said: "No, this was my first day back at work." | Ms Letby said: "No, this was my first day back at work." |
| Mr Johnson said: "Did you want to get his attention?" | Mr Johnson said: "Did you want to get his attention?" |
| "No," the nurse said. | "No," the nurse said. |
| Mr Johnson asked: "Is that the reason you sabotaged [Child O]?" | Mr Johnson asked: "Is that the reason you sabotaged [Child O]?" |
| "No," the defendant repeated. | "No," the defendant repeated. |
| Lucy Letby has been giving evidence for a 13th day at Manchester Crown Court | Lucy Letby has been giving evidence for a 13th day at Manchester Crown Court |
| Jurors were told that up to 90 minutes later, Ms Letby called for help from the registrar, who was working in a neighbouring nursery. | Jurors were told that up to 90 minutes later, Ms Letby called for help from the registrar, who was working in a neighbouring nursery. |
| The prosecutor asked her: "Were you trying to get his attention?" | The prosecutor asked her: "Were you trying to get his attention?" |
| Ms Letby said: "Yes, I wanted him to be with (Child O)." | Ms Letby said: "Yes, I wanted him to be with (Child O)." |
| Mr Johnson said: "Personal attention as well?" | Mr Johnson said: "Personal attention as well?" |
| Letby said: "No, he was the registrar on the unit that day." | Letby said: "No, he was the registrar on the unit that day." |
| Ms Letby, who was Child O's designated nurse, called for the doctor's assistance at about 13:15 BST after the infant vomited following a milk feed 45 minutes earlier. | Ms Letby, who was Child O's designated nurse, called for the doctor's assistance at about 13:15 BST after the infant vomited following a milk feed 45 minutes earlier. |
| Medical entries showed the accused signed for the feed but, giving her 13th day of evidence, Ms Letby told the court that the child was actually fed by a student nurse she was mentoring. | Medical entries showed the accused signed for the feed but, giving her 13th day of evidence, Ms Letby told the court that the child was actually fed by a student nurse she was mentoring. |
| Mr Johnson said: "You deliberately overfed [Child O], didn't you?" | Mr Johnson said: "You deliberately overfed [Child O], didn't you?" |
| Ms Letby replied: "No I didn't. I was not feeding this baby." | Ms Letby replied: "No I didn't. I was not feeding this baby." |
| Letby denies bin rooting after baby resuscitation | Letby denies bin rooting after baby resuscitation |
| Letby denies poisoning babies with insulin | Letby denies poisoning babies with insulin |
| Letby denies covering up murder of baby girl | Letby denies covering up murder of baby girl |
| The court was told Ms Letby had noted Child O's appearance was "mottled" and his abdomen was "red and distended". | The court was told Ms Letby had noted Child O's appearance was "mottled" and his abdomen was "red and distended". |
| Mr Johnson reminded the nurse the unit's head consultant Dr Stephen Brearey had recalled an "unusual rash" on the right side of Child O's chest wall, which later disappeared. | Mr Johnson reminded the nurse the unit's head consultant Dr Stephen Brearey had recalled an "unusual rash" on the right side of Child O's chest wall, which later disappeared. |
| The prosecutor asked her: "Is that what you saw as well?" | The prosecutor asked her: "Is that what you saw as well?" |
| Ms Letby said: "No." | Ms Letby said: "No." |
| Mr Johnson told the court that Child O's mother had noticed "changing" skin discolouration and "prominent veins", while Child O's father observed "something oozing through his veins". | Mr Johnson told the court that Child O's mother had noticed "changing" skin discolouration and "prominent veins", while Child O's father observed "something oozing through his veins". |
| He asked the accused: "Do you agree with the descriptions?" | He asked the accused: "Do you agree with the descriptions?" |
| Ms Letby replied: "I didn't see anything like that." | Ms Letby replied: "I didn't see anything like that." |
| Mr Johnson said: "You saw a sort of blotchy, purply/red rash?" | Mr Johnson said: "You saw a sort of blotchy, purply/red rash?" |
| "Yes," Ms Letby said. | "Yes," Ms Letby said. |
| The defendant agreed a liver injury sustained by Child O - discovered after his death - must have been inflicted during the shift. | The defendant agreed a liver injury sustained by Child O - discovered after his death - must have been inflicted during the shift. |
| She told the court: "I don't know how that has happened." | She told the court: "I don't know how that has happened." |
| Mr Johnson said: "You injected [Child O's] stomach with gas down the [nasogastric tube], didn't you?" | Mr Johnson said: "You injected [Child O's] stomach with gas down the [nasogastric tube], didn't you?" |
| The nurse said: "No, I didn't." | The nurse said: "No, I didn't." |
| Mr Johnson said: "You injected air into his circulation." | Mr Johnson said: "You injected air into his circulation." |
| Ms Letby said: "No." | Ms Letby said: "No." |
| Mr Johnson said: "And through some violent mechanism, you inflicted that liver injury on him." | Mr Johnson said: "And through some violent mechanism, you inflicted that liver injury on him." |
| "No," the nurse replied. | "No," the nurse replied. |
| Child O continued to decline throughout the afternoon and died at 17:47. | Child O continued to decline throughout the afternoon and died at 17:47. |
| Mr Johnson accused Ms Letby of then turning her attention to Child O's brother, Child P, who was also in her care. | Mr Johnson accused Ms Letby of then turning her attention to Child O's brother, Child P, who was also in her care. |
| The prosecutor said: "You had already put your plan into motion by pumping [Child P] before you left, hadn't you?" | The prosecutor said: "You had already put your plan into motion by pumping [Child P] before you left, hadn't you?" |
| "No," Ms Letby said. | "No," Ms Letby said. |
| Mr Johnson went on: "You overfed [Child P] some time between 6pm and handing him over at 8pm, didn't you?" | Mr Johnson went on: "You overfed [Child P] some time between 6pm and handing him over at 8pm, didn't you?" |
| Letby said: "No." | Letby said: "No." |
| The defendant is alleged to have murdered Child P the following day with more injections of air. | The defendant is alleged to have murdered Child P the following day with more injections of air. |
| Child P suffered an acute deterioration five minutes after a doctor examined him on the morning ward round, the court heard. | |
| Again, Ms Letby's alleged love interest was among medics to respond to an emergency crash call, the court heard. | |
| Mr Johnson asked the defendant: "Were you trying to attract [the doctor's] attention?" | |
| "No," said the accused. | |
| Mr Johnson said: "Did you enjoy being in these crisis situations with [the doctor]?" | |
| She said: "No." | |
| Mr Johnson said: "Did it give you something to talk about and message about?" | |
| The nurse said: "No, [the doctor] and I were friends." | |
| Mr Johnson said: "The reason you crash called was because you had injected air down his [nasogastric tube]?" | |
| "No," said Ms Letby. | |
| A further deterioration happened just before 12:30 when the registrar and another doctor were in a tea room and they heard a call for help from the accused. | |
| The second doctor - who also cannot be identified for legal reasons - has previously told the jury that Ms Letby went on to say to her: "He's not leaving alive is he?" | |
| The accused said she could not recall the conversation. | |
| Mr Johnson said: "Did you enjoy making predictions when you knew what was going to happen?" | |
| "No," said the defendant. | |
| Child P continued to decline and was pronounced dead at 16:00. | |
| Mr Johnson put it to the defendant that she was "falling over yourself" to message a colleague about the boy's death later that evening. | |
| Ms Letby said: "No, I told her out of respect." | |
| She added it was "common practice" to try and make nursing staff aware of such outcomes before they walked on to the unit and found out. | |
| Mr Johnson said: "She was at the races. Why didn't you just leave her alone?" | |
| The accused said: "She was asking me." | |
| Mr Johnson said: "Did you enjoy the drama?" | |
| "No," said Ms Letby. | |
| The nurse also denied she attempted to murder Child Q, a baby boy, the following day by "pumping him with a clear fluid". | |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |
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| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Hereford | Hereford |
| Chester | Chester |
| Cheshire | Cheshire |