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| Nurse Lucy Letby poisoned babies with insulin, trial told | Nurse Lucy Letby poisoned babies with insulin, trial told |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Ms Letby, of Hereford, was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit when the deaths happened | Ms Letby, of Hereford, was working at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit when the deaths happened |
| A "poisoner was at work" at a hospital where there was a "significant rise" in the number of healthy babies dying, a court has heard. | A "poisoner was at work" at a hospital where there was a "significant rise" in the number of healthy babies dying, a court has heard. |
| Lucy Letby has been accused of murdering five baby boys and two girls, and attempting to murder 10 other babies at Countess of Chester hospital. | Lucy Letby has been accused of murdering five baby boys and two girls, and attempting to murder 10 other babies at Countess of Chester hospital. |
| Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said she was a "constant malevolent presence" in the hospital's neonatal unit. | Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said she was a "constant malevolent presence" in the hospital's neonatal unit. |
| Ms Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown Court. | Ms Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown Court. |
| Opening the prosecution case, Mr Johnson said the Chester institution was a "busy general hospital like so many others in the UK". | |
| However, he said that "unlike many other hospitals, within the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, a poisoner was at work". | |
| "Prior to January 2015, the statistics for the mortality of babies in the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester were comparable to other like units," he said. | "Prior to January 2015, the statistics for the mortality of babies in the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester were comparable to other like units," he said. |
| "However, over the next 18 months or so, there was a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying and in the number of serious catastrophic collapses." | "However, over the next 18 months or so, there was a significant rise in the number of babies who were dying and in the number of serious catastrophic collapses." |
| Lucy Letby appeared in the dock at Manchester Crown Court | Lucy Letby appeared in the dock at Manchester Crown Court |
| He said the increases were noticed by hospital consultants, who were concerned that "babies who were dying had deteriorated unexpectedly". | He said the increases were noticed by hospital consultants, who were concerned that "babies who were dying had deteriorated unexpectedly". |
| Medics also noted that babies who had collapsed "did not respond to appropriate and timely resuscitation" and that others "collapsed dramatically, but then, equally dramatically, recovered". | Medics also noted that babies who had collapsed "did not respond to appropriate and timely resuscitation" and that others "collapsed dramatically, but then, equally dramatically, recovered". |
| "Having searched for a cause, which they were unable to find, the consultants noticed that the inexplicable collapses and deaths did have one common denominator," he said. | "Having searched for a cause, which they were unable to find, the consultants noticed that the inexplicable collapses and deaths did have one common denominator," he said. |
| "The presence of one of the neonatal nurses and that nurse was Lucy Letby." | "The presence of one of the neonatal nurses and that nurse was Lucy Letby." |
| Mr Johnson told the court that as medics could not account for the collapses and deaths, police were called in and conducted a "painstaking review". | Mr Johnson told the court that as medics could not account for the collapses and deaths, police were called in and conducted a "painstaking review". |
| "That review suggests in the period between mid-2015 and the middle of 2016, somebody in the neonatal unit poisoned two children with insulin," he said. | "That review suggests in the period between mid-2015 and the middle of 2016, somebody in the neonatal unit poisoned two children with insulin," he said. |
| "The prosecution say the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the evidence you will hear is that somebody poisoned these babies deliberately with insulin." | "The prosecution say the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn from the evidence you will hear is that somebody poisoned these babies deliberately with insulin." |
| Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said Lucy Letby was the "one common denominator" that linked the deaths and collapses | Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said Lucy Letby was the "one common denominator" that linked the deaths and collapses |
| He told the jury that both babies were poisoned within a few days of being born. | He told the jury that both babies were poisoned within a few days of being born. |
| "There's a very restricted number of people who could have been the poisoner, because entry to a neonatal unit is closely restricted," he said. | "There's a very restricted number of people who could have been the poisoner, because entry to a neonatal unit is closely restricted," he said. |
| "Lucy Letby was on duty when both were poisoned and we allege she was the poisoner," Mr Johnson said. | "Lucy Letby was on duty when both were poisoned and we allege she was the poisoner," Mr Johnson said. |
| He said all the deaths and collapses were "no accident" and were not "naturally-occurring tragedies". | He said all the deaths and collapses were "no accident" and were not "naturally-occurring tragedies". |
| Mr Johnson said sometimes babies were injected with air and on other occasions they were fed with insulin or too much milk. | |
| 'Process of elimination' | |
| He told the court: "So varying means by which these babies were attacked, but the constant presence when they were fatally attacked or collapsed catastrophically was Lucy Letby." | |
| Jurors were shown a chart showing nurses who were present on duty when the alleged criminal incidents were said to have taken place. | |
| Pointing out, as examples, the first three alleged offences in time he said the chart showed the only person that was present on all three occasions was the defendant. | |
| Mr Johnson said: "If you look at the table overall the picture is, we say, self-evidently obvious. It's a process of elimination. | |
| "Many of the events in this case occurred on the night shifts. | |
| "When upon Lucy Letby was moved on to day shifts, the collapses and deaths moved to the day shifts. | |
| "They were all the work of the woman in the dock, who, we say, was the constant malevolent presence when things took a turn for the worse for these 17 children." | |
| Mr Johnson alleged that in some cases, Ms Letby tried to kill the same baby more than once. | |
| "Sometimes a baby that she succeeded in killing she did not manage to kill the first time she tried, or even the second time, and in one case even the third time." | |
| The court heard how Ms Letby studied for her nursing degree at the University of Chester and had qualified a few years before the the alleged events. | |
| She worked throughout the period in consideration at the neonatal unit and was living in Chester at the time. | |
| The jury has been told the trial may last up to six months. | The jury has been told the trial may last up to six months. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |
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