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| Lucy Letby trial: Nurse killed baby and sent parents card, trial told | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Lucy Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown Court | Lucy Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown Court |
| A nurse accused of murdering babies on a neonatal ward killed a premature baby girl on the fourth attempt before sending her parents a sympathy card, a court has heard. | |
| Lucy Letby is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. | Lucy Letby is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016. |
| Manchester Crown Court was told Ms Letby allegedly tried to kill the girl by injecting her with air. | Manchester Crown Court was told Ms Letby allegedly tried to kill the girl by injecting her with air. |
| Ms Letby, 32, denies 22 charges. | |
| Continuing the prosecution's opening statement for a third day, Nick Johnson KC said the circumstances of the girl's death were "an extreme example even by the standards of this case". | Continuing the prosecution's opening statement for a third day, Nick Johnson KC said the circumstances of the girl's death were "an extreme example even by the standards of this case". |
| "There were four separate occasions on which we allege Lucy Letby tried to kill her," he said. | "There were four separate occasions on which we allege Lucy Letby tried to kill her," he said. |
| The child, referred to for legal reasons as Baby I, was "resilient," he said, "but ultimately at the fourth attempt, Lucy Letby succeeded in killing her". | The child, referred to for legal reasons as Baby I, was "resilient," he said, "but ultimately at the fourth attempt, Lucy Letby succeeded in killing her". |
| He said that on the first occasion Ms Letby, of Hereford, had injected Baby I with air. | |
| Mum walked in on nurse killing baby, jury hears | Mum walked in on nurse killing baby, jury hears |
| Nurse poisoned babies with insulin, trial told | Nurse poisoned babies with insulin, trial told |
| On her second attempt, he said she had stood in the doorway of the girl's darkened room and commented that she looked pale. | On her second attempt, he said she had stood in the doorway of the girl's darkened room and commented that she looked pale. |
| The girl's designated nurse then turned on the light and saw Baby I appeared at the point of death and was not breathing. | The girl's designated nurse then turned on the light and saw Baby I appeared at the point of death and was not breathing. |
| Following a third alleged attempt to kill her, Baby I was again found to have excess air in her stomach, which had affected her breathing. | Following a third alleged attempt to kill her, Baby I was again found to have excess air in her stomach, which had affected her breathing. |
| She was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital where she stabilised, before being taken back to Chester, the court heard. | She was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital where she stabilised, before being taken back to Chester, the court heard. |
| Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 others | Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 others |
| When Baby I's medical alarm went off following a fourth attempt, another nurse found Lucy Letby next to the incubator, the jury was told. | When Baby I's medical alarm went off following a fourth attempt, another nurse found Lucy Letby next to the incubator, the jury was told. |
| The baby died that morning. | The baby died that morning. |
| Mr Johnson said: "[Baby I] was born very early and very small. | Mr Johnson said: "[Baby I] was born very early and very small. |
| "But she survived the first two months of her life and was doing well by the time Lucy Letby got her hands on her. | "But she survived the first two months of her life and was doing well by the time Lucy Letby got her hands on her. |
| "It was persistent, it was calculated and it was cold-blooded." | "It was persistent, it was calculated and it was cold-blooded." |
| Lucy Letby worked on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital | Lucy Letby worked on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital |
| The court heard how in the immediate aftermath of Baby I's death her parents were taken to a private room. | The court heard how in the immediate aftermath of Baby I's death her parents were taken to a private room. |
| Lucy Letby and another nurse asked if the baby's mother wanted to bathe her daughter. | Lucy Letby and another nurse asked if the baby's mother wanted to bathe her daughter. |
| As the mother bathed her child, Lucy Letby came into the room and, in the words of the mother, she "was smiling and kept going on about how she was present at the baby's first bath and how much the baby had loved it". | As the mother bathed her child, Lucy Letby came into the room and, in the words of the mother, she "was smiling and kept going on about how she was present at the baby's first bath and how much the baby had loved it". |
| The jury was told Ms Letby later sent a sympathy card to the child's parents and kept an image of the card on her phone. | The jury was told Ms Letby later sent a sympathy card to the child's parents and kept an image of the card on her phone. |
| During a police interview she agreed this was unusual but said it was not often nurses got to know a family as well as they had got to know Baby I's, the court heard. | |
| Earlier, Mr Johnson told the court about attempts made on the life of another premature girl, Baby H, on two consecutive night shifts. | Earlier, Mr Johnson told the court about attempts made on the life of another premature girl, Baby H, on two consecutive night shifts. |
| He said that girl had had a series of known medical problems but had suffered two inexplicable collapses. | He said that girl had had a series of known medical problems but had suffered two inexplicable collapses. |
| As Baby H was being given treatment in the unit's intensive care section, Mr Johnson said Lucy Letby "would have had the cover of legitimacy for accessing her intravenous lines just before she collapsed". | As Baby H was being given treatment in the unit's intensive care section, Mr Johnson said Lucy Letby "would have had the cover of legitimacy for accessing her intravenous lines just before she collapsed". |
| Lucy Letby's trial is continuing for a third day | Lucy Letby's trial is continuing for a third day |
| He said on the first night, Ms Letby was the girl's designated nurse and, after she collapsed, she was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital. | He said on the first night, Ms Letby was the girl's designated nurse and, after she collapsed, she was transferred to Arrowe Park Hospital. |
| "She was stabilised in the transport," he said. | "She was stabilised in the transport," he said. |
| "Her mother speaks of her dramatic improvement as soon as she got to [the hospital] and the medical records bear this out." | "Her mother speaks of her dramatic improvement as soon as she got to [the hospital] and the medical records bear this out." |
| He said Ms Letby had not been Baby H's designated nurse the following night, after she was returned to Chester. | He said Ms Letby had not been Baby H's designated nurse the following night, after she was returned to Chester. |
| "A doctor saw her giving oxygen and assumed she was the baby's nurse. He took the medical history from her," he said. | "A doctor saw her giving oxygen and assumed she was the baby's nurse. He took the medical history from her," he said. |
| "We suggest that is a pretty good indication of who it was that 'discovered' that Baby H was having problems." | "We suggest that is a pretty good indication of who it was that 'discovered' that Baby H was having problems." |
| Mr Johnson said: "It is a notable fact in the case of [Baby H] and others that as soon as children were removed from the Countess of Chester and the sphere of influence of Lucy Letby, it was often followed by their sudden and remarkable recovery." | Mr Johnson said: "It is a notable fact in the case of [Baby H] and others that as soon as children were removed from the Countess of Chester and the sphere of influence of Lucy Letby, it was often followed by their sudden and remarkable recovery." |
| He said a week after the baby's collapses, Ms Letby searched Facebook for the girl's parents and for the families of two other children she is accused of attacking. | He said a week after the baby's collapses, Ms Letby searched Facebook for the girl's parents and for the families of two other children she is accused of attacking. |
| He added a police search of her home also found hospital handover notes relating to the girl. | He added a police search of her home also found hospital handover notes relating to the girl. |
| The case continues. | The case continues. |
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