Lucy Letby said she was 'back with a bang' as she came back from holiday and 'killed two triplets', prosecutors claim
8 June 2023, 14:47 | Updated: 8 June 2023, 16:59
Lucy Letby has been accused of killing two triplets after telling colleagues at the hospital where she worked that she was "back with a bang" from holiday.
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Prosecutors claim that Letby, a former neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester hospital, is accused of killing murdering of seven babies and trying to kill ten more between June 2015 and June 2016.
Two triplets known as Child O and P, among the children prosecutors say she killed, died in June 2016 within a day of each other, after Letby came back from holiday in Ibiza, Manchester Crown Court heard on Thursday. Their sibling Child Q collapsed too but did not die.
Letby, 33, sent her colleagues a message on June 22 about her impending return: "Yep probably be back in with a bang lol".
Child O and P were two of a set of triplets. Child O died on June 23, within a day of Letby coming back from Ibiza, with authorities finding "severe liver damage", which was probably the result of an attack.
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Child P died on June 24. Letby fed Child P alone within days of Child O dying.
Letby also denied attacking Child O to get the attention of a doctor who prosecutors claim she "had a crush on".
She told jurors she was not in love with the doctor and they were just friends.
Both Letby and the registrar - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - were working a day shift on June 23 2016. During the morning, Letby texted the doctor: "Bit rubbish that you couldn't stay on nnu (neonatal unit).
"You may get time for lunch though if on clinic."
Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC asked Letby: "Were you disappointed he was not there?" Letby said: "Yes, I enjoyed working with (the doctor)."
Mr Johnson said: "Were you missing him?" Letby said: "No, this was my first day back at work." Mr Johnson said: "Did you want to get his attention?"
"No," Letby said. Mr Johnson asked: "Is that the reason you sabotaged (Child O)?" "No," Letby repeated.
Child O's designated nurse Letby, who was the designated nurse for Child O, called for the doctor's help at about 1.15pm after the infant vomited following a milk feed 45 minutes earlier.
Medical entries showed Letby signed for the feed but, giving her 13th day of evidence, the defendant told the court that the child was actually fed by a student nurse she was mentoring.
Mr Johnson said: "You deliberately overfed (Child O), didn't you?"
Letby replied: "No I didn't. I was not feeding this baby."
Up to 90 minutes later, Letby called for help from the registrar who was working in a neighbouring nursery, the court heard. The prosecutor asked her: "Were you trying to get his attention?"
Letby said: "Yes, I wanted him to be with (Child O)." Mr Johnson said: "Personal attention as well?" Letby said: "No, he was the registrar on the unit that day."
After Child O died, Child P suffered an "acute deterioration" as staff were preparing to move him to another hospital. Experts said the most likely cause of Child O's death was air injected into his stomach, which compromised his breathing.
Child Q was transferred to another hospital and made a fast recovery.
