Letby denies further targeting baby to mislead staff

Lucy Letby denies attempting to kill a premature baby girl

Former nurse Lucy Letby has denied she further targeted a baby girl to mislead her colleagues into believing the infant was dislodging her own breathing tube.

The 34-year-old convicted killer is on trial accused of the attempted murder of the girl, referred to as Baby K, at the Countess of Chester Hospital on 17 February 2016.

She is accused of deliberately dislodging the baby's breathing tube while working a night shift at the neo-natal unit.

Giving evidence for a second day at Manchester Crown Court, Letby denied tampering with the tube on two more occasions that evening.

'Done nothing'

Jurors have previously been told she was convicted last August of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

But a retrial was ordered after a verdict could not be reached on the allegation of attempted murder concerning Baby K.

Prosecutors alleged Letby deliberately dislodged the infant's breathing tube and was said to have "done nothing" by consultant paediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram as Baby's K's condition deteriorated when he walked into the unit at about 03.45 GMT.

In the hours that followed on the same shift, the prosecution allege she interfered with replacement tubes for the newborn on two more occasions in a bid to cover her tracks.

Baby K was transferred to a specialist hospital later on February 17, 2016, because of her extreme prematurity.

She died there three days later, although the prosecution does not allege Letby caused her death.

The former nurse was giving evidence for a second day at Manchester Crown Court

Letby, who wore a black suit with a navy blue and white polka dot top, has denied she harmed Baby K in any way.

Cross-examining her, Nick Johnson KC said: "You tried to kill her didn't you?"

Letby replied: "No, I did not."

Mr Johnson put it to the former nurse that she "tried to create the impression that [Baby K] was habitually desaturating and dislodging her own tube, didn't you?"

"No," said Letby.

She agreed that Baby K had been given an infusion of morphine after 04:00.

Mr Johnson said: "Do you accept the fact she was sedated with morphine meant she would not have been active?"

Letby said: "She would be relaxed but she could have moved if she wanted to."

A portable X-ray machine was brought into the neo-natal unit shortly before 06.10 to record a scan for Baby K, the court heard, which showed the breathing tube in the correct position.

Up to 15 minutes later the baby desaturated again as the prosecution suggested Letby went into nursery one to return some notes to the infant's cot side.

Mr Johnson said: "Those two events are connected, aren't they?"

"No," said Letby.

Mr Johnson said: "Just as later on [Baby K] collapsed for a third time when you were there, didn't she?"

Letby said: "According to the staff accounts, yes. I don't have any recollection of it myself."

'Shouted for help'

Letby was said to have shouted for help and was seen to use a breathing device on Baby K when her fellow nurses came into nursery one at about 07.30.

Mr Johnson asked: "Do you accept what they say?"

Letby said: "I think that sounds like actions I would be taking if it was happening."

Mr Johnson went on: "So you do accept it?"

Letby replied: "I don't think I can comment on whether someone is telling the truth or not. I only know what I know."

The prosecutor pointed out that Letby's two designated babies on the shift were in nursery two ahead of the morning handover to the day shift.

He asked: "Why were you in nursery one?"

Letby said: "I can't tell you that but Joanne [Baby K's designated nurse] was not in the room at that time. Somebody would have to be in the room."

Mr Johnson said: "Because she was not there you took the opportunity to destabilise [Baby K] for a third and final time, didn't you?"

"No," said Letby.

Mr Johnson said: "[Baby K] was well sedated by this stage, wasn't she?"

Letby said: "She was on morphine, yes."

The breathing tube was found to have moved a fifth of the way in from where a doctor had placed it, jurors heard.

Mr Johnson said: "Relatively speaking, a long way?"

"Yes," said Letby.

Mr Johnson said: "That's because you pushed it in, didn't you?"

Letby replied: "No."

Nursing notes

Mr Johnson reminded jurors that a nursing expert had told the court the incident should have been reported verbally by Letby to Baby K's designated nurse and written up in the nursing notes.

He asked Letby: "Why didn't you record this event?"

Letby said: "I can't answer that."

Mr Johnson said: "I will offer an answer for you. Because you didn't want there to be a written record of your involvement in this third extubation of this extremely premature child."

Letby said: "I disagree. If I had been involved any of the nurses would have written I had been involved."

Mr Johnson said: "You tried to kill [Baby K], didn't you?"

"No," said Letby.

Mr Johnson said: "Just like you tried to kill six other babies."

"No," said Letby.

Mr Johnson said: "And succeeded in murdering seven other babies."

"No" said Letby.

The trial continues.