Wednesday 12 October 2022 12:19 PM Lucy Letby 'tried to kill 'resilient' baby girl four times before succeeding' trends now
'Cold-blooded' Lucy Letby tried to kill a 'resilient' baby girl four times before succeeding and sending a sympathy card to her parents, it was claimed today - as a court heard how babies 'suddenly recovered' when they were removed from the hospital where she worked.
The 32-year-old allegedly killed five boys and two girls, and faces a total of 22 charges of both murder and attempted murder involving 17 babies. The offences are said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016 while she was working in the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
This morning, Letby sat in the dock wearing a black jacket as she listened to the prosecution open today's hearing by laying out an allegation of murder against Child I and two of attempted murder against Child H.
Mr Johnson described the case of Child I - who despite being born weighing just 970g (2lbs 2oz) was healthy - as 'an extreme example even by the standards of this overall case'. Letby tried four times to kill the infant before succeeding on the fourth attempt, Mr Johnson said, describing the baby girl as 'resilient'.
The nurse sent a sympathy card to Child I's parents following her death, something that was 'not normal', the court heard. In an interview, she told police this was the only time she had done it, 'but it is not often the nurses got to know a family as well as they had known Child I's.' She admitted to officers that she'd kept an image of the card on her phone.
Earlier, Mr Johnson told jurors at Manchester Crown Court that Letby twice attempted to murder Child H - who like the other babies cannot be identified for legal reasons - on two successive night shifts in September 2015.
Child H suffered two 'profound' collapses which required resuscitation by chest compressions with the use of adrenaline, the court heard. No clear cause for either incident was identified at the time but the baby survived.
After the two incidents the baby girl was transferred to another hospital where she showed 'dramatic improvement'. She later returned to the Countess of Chester and was eventually discharged.
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.'
Letby's parents, Susan and John, are supporting her at her six-month trial at Manchester Crown Court.
As the third day of Letby's trial begins, Manchester Crown Court has heard over the trial so far:
Letby, 32, denies murdering seven premature babies and attempting to murder 10 more over 12 months. The deaths occurred at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Letby was arrested three years after the death of her first alleged victim, Baby A; ICU nurse is alleged to have injected babies with insulin, air or pumped with milk to kill them - often during night shifts when parents were less likely to be there; Babies A, C and D were all murdered in the space of around 13 days, it is alleged; The jury was told that Letby was stood next to the cot of Baby C when his monitor alarm went off and she told the colleague who rushed in: 'He's going, he's going'. Baby A was murdered in the same room six earlier, prosecution claims; The day after allegedly murdering Baby E, Lucy Letby allegedly used insulin for the first time to poison a baby, the court heard, by trying to murder Baby E's twin brother, Baby F; Letby allegedly targeted twins on more than one occasion - and in some cases one was murdered and their sibling survived; She is said to have searched for the families of her alleged victims families on Facebook and social media, including on Christmas Day; In some cases, Letby is alleged to have tried to kill Baby G on up to three occasions, including two times in one shift; Child H suffered two 'profound' collapses which required resuscitation by chest compressions with the use of adrenaline; Letby tried four times to kill Child I before succeeding on the fourth attempt, Mr Johnson said, describing the baby girl as 'resilient';
Letby denies seven charges of murder and ten charges of attempted murder between 2015 and 2016 at Countess of Chester Hospital
The nurse (pictured) allegedly tried to kill one baby by injecting insulin into his nutrition bag less than 24 hours after murdering his twin brother
The court has heard Letby (pictured) attempted to kill one baby at Countess of Chester Hospital three times in the
