Nurse accused of murder tells court of ‘devastation’ over baby deaths
Nurse accused of murder Lucy Letby told court it was “devastating” when doctors failed to revive babies.
Letby, 33, is said to have murdered seven babies and attempted to murder ten others at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Giving her fifth day of evidence at Manchester Crown Court, she was asked by her solicitor, Ben Myers KC, to recall unsuccessful efforts to resuscitate one of her alleged victims.
Prosecutors say they previously administered a fatal dose of air to the newborn triplets and also caused trauma to their livers.
The infant, Child O, died in the late afternoon of June 23, 2016 after multiple collapses in the neonatal unit on the same day.
Asked by Mr Myers to describe the atmosphere among medical professionals when a child cannot be resuscitated, Letby said: “Everyone is completely limp.
“The atmosphere changes completely.
Mr. Myers said: “How does it feel?”
Letby said: “For me personally? It’s devastating. You want to be able to save every baby in your care.
“You can’t watch a baby die.”
Letby was present at the last resuscitation but said she did not perform any resuscitation efforts herself.
She said: “I think there was a rotation between several employees.”
Mr. Myers asked, “Have you done anything that got air into (Child O)?”
“No,” Letby said.
Mr. Myers said: “Or in this case with any baby?”
Letby replied, “No.”
Mr. Myers continued: “Would you?”
“No,” Letby repeated.
The court has heard that an autopsy revealed injury to child O’s liver.
Mr Myers asked Letby: “Do you know how this injury happened?”
“No,” said the defendant.
Letby is said to have murdered Child O on her first shift after a week-long holiday in Ibiza with two friends.
Speaking about her return to work, she wrote to a co-worker that she would “probably be back with a bang lol”.
Letby told the court it was indicative of a “busy shift.”
Mr Myers said: “Does that mean you had something dramatic and terrible planned when you got back?”
“No,” Letby said.
Letby, from Hereford, denies any alleged crimes alleged to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/lucy-letby-manchester-crown-court-steve-allen-ibiza-hereford-b1081762.html Nurse accused of murder tells court of ‘devastation’ over baby deaths
