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Lucy Letby trial: Nurse killed baby and sent parents card, trial told Lucy Letby trial: Nurse killed baby and sent parents card, trial told
(about 1 hour later)
Lucy Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown CourtLucy 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.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.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 Child 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. He said that on the first occasion Ms Letby, of Hereford, had injected Child I with air.
Mum walked in on nurse killing baby, jury hears
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 Child 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, Child 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 othersLucy 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 Child I's medical alarm went off following a fourth attempt, another nurse found Ms 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: "[Child 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 Mum walked in on nurse killing baby, jury hears
The court heard how in the immediate aftermath of Baby I's death her parents were taken to a private room. Nurse poisoned babies with insulin, trial told
The court heard how in the immediate aftermath of Child I's death her parents were taken to a private room.
Ms Letby and another nurse asked if the baby's mother wanted to bathe her daughter.Ms Letby and another nurse asked if the baby's mother wanted to bathe her daughter.
As the mother bathed her child, Ms 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, Ms 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. 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 Child 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. Lucy Letby worked on the neonatal ward at the Countess of Chester Hospital
He said that girl had had a series of known medical problems but had suffered two inexplicable collapses. The court was also told how a suspicious doctor walked in on Ms Letby as she allegedly attempted to kill one baby.
As Baby H was being given treatment in the unit's intensive care section, Mr Johnson said Ms Letby "would have had the cover of legitimacy for accessing her intravenous lines just before she collapsed". Dr Ravi Jayaram, a paediatric consultant, had helped deliver Child K who was born at 25 weeks.
Ms Letby booked her into neonatal unit and 90 minutes later, he was aware Ms Letby was alone with the baby, the jury heard.
Mr Johnson told the jury: "Feeling uncomfortable with this because he had started to notice the coincidence between the unexplained deaths, serious collapses and the presence of Lucy Letby, Dr Jayaram decided to check on where [Ms Letby] was and how Child K was.
"As he walked in he saw Ms Letby standing over Child K's incubator.
"She did not have her hands inside the incubator, but Dr Jayaram could see from the monitor on the wall that Child K's oxygen saturation level was falling dangerously low, to somewhere in the 80s.
"But the alarm was not sounding as it should have been and Lucy Letby had not called for help, despite Child K's oxygen levels falling.
"We allege she was trying to kill Child K when Dr Jayaram walked in," Mr Johnson said.
Lucy Letby's trial is continuing for a third dayLucy Letby's trial is continuing for a third day
Earlier, Mr Johnson told the court about attempts made on the life of another premature girl, Child H, on two consecutive night shifts.
He said that girl had a series of known medical problems but had suffered two inexplicable collapses.
As Child H was being given treatment in the unit's intensive care section, Mr Johnson said Ms Letby "would have had the cover of legitimacy for accessing her intravenous lines just before she collapsed".
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.
'Sudden and remarkable recovery'
"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 Child 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 Child 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 [Child 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."
Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said Lucy Letby would search for the parents of the poorly babies on social media
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 court also heard about baby J, who Ms Letby is accused of trying to murder.
She was a premature baby girl who was "doing well and healthy" after a bowel operation.
But she suffered two serious problems with her breathing overnight in November 2015 when Ms Letby was one of the six nurses working, the jury was told.
She was moved to a high-dependency room and had a seizure at 06:56 GMT. At 07:20 Ms Letby gave the baby a glucose infusion.
Minutes later Child J collapsed again with a seizure and had to be resuscitated, with the help of a doctor, but he could not explain why it had happened again, the jury heard.
An independent medical expert who reviewed Child J's case said it was "of concern and consistent with some form of obstruction of her airways, such as smothering".
Again, Ms Letby, made searches on Facebook for the child's parents on in December 2015.
The case continues.The case continues.
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