Letby: I did not enjoy seeing babies in distress

1. Lucy Letby, who is accused of killing seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others, is being cross-examined by the prosecution for a third day
2. She has denied taking enjoyment from seeing babies in distress
3. The prosecution alleges the nurse attacked 17 babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 - charges she denies
4. Today is Lucy Letby's seventh day in the witness box at Manchester Crown Court - on her first day she told jurors the charges against her were "sickening"
5. On Thursday, she told the jury that there was a conspiracy between doctors to blame her for problems at the hospital
6. Several of the parents of babies who the nurse is alleged to have murdered and attacked have been in court to watch proceedings
7. The court has previously heard Letby was removed from frontline duties in July 2016 after doctors raised concerns

We're ending our live coverage

Thanks for joining us. We're ending our live coverage as court has finished for the day. You can read more about each child's case here.

We know this is an extremely distressing case. As a reminder, if you, or someone you know, needs help after reading about it, the details of organisations offering assistance can be found on the BBC Action Line website.

Today's live page was written by Gem O'Reilly, Anna Boyd, Marita Moloney and Judith Moritz.

What did we find out today?

Gem O'Reilly

Live Reporter

As you've just seen, the court proceedings have ended for today. We've been reporting all morning on the case from inside the court, so here's a summary of what we heard:

• Nick Johnson KC, who is the lead prosecutor in the case, cross-examined Lucy Letby with questions relating to baby C and baby D, who she is accused of murdering
• Johnson asked Letby about baby C's decline and if she "enjoyed" the aftermath, which she denied
• He then asked Letby about the condition of baby D and a rash on the baby and the text messages that she sent the morning after the infant died
• The court was shown WhatsApp messages between Letby and another nurse, where that nurse pointed out that the sudden death of three babies was "unusual"
• Letby denies all the charges against her, and will resume her third day of cross-examination when the court reconvenes

Jury told hearing will not continue for rest of today

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

We are now back in court, but Lucy Letby is in the dock, rather than being in the witness box. The jury has just come back in.

The judge, Mr Justice Goss, apologises to them for the delay. He tells them that for reasons with which they should not concern themselves, we are not going to continue with the hearing for the rest of today.

He tells the jury that they will not be needed back at court until it's next scheduled to sit on Wednesday next week.

He reminds them not to research the case themselves, away from the evidence they hear at court.

That is the end of proceedings for today. The trial will continue next Wednesday.

Delay in hearing restarting after lunch

There's been a delay in restarting the court proceedings after lunch.

We'll be bringing you the latest from Manchester Crown Court when the hearing gets under way again.

Court to resume shortly

We're expecting proceedings to get under way again soon as the court returns from lunch.

We'll be bringing you the latest as Lucy Letby continues to be cross-examined, so stay with us.

Find support on BBC Action Line website

This is an extremely distressing case. So if you, or someone you know, needs help after reading about it, the details of organisations offering assistance can be found on the BBC Action Line website.

Reminder: Why we can’t identify certain individuals

A Section 45 order is a legal ruling made by a judge which bans publication of the identity of any witness, victim or defendant aged under 18 who appears at a magistrates' court or a crown court.

The ban includes reporting the young person's name, address, school, college or place of work - and any details that are likely to identify the person.

Photographs of the individual are banned as well.

The court has ordered that the babies and their parents in this case must not be identified, so each child has been named by a letter, from Child A to Child Q.

The rule applies to everyone, and relates to all reports of the case on radio, television, newspapers, magazines, online and social media.

It is a crime to breach a Section 45 order and can result in a prison sentence.

What stage is the case at?

PA Media

This trial began last October, with officials saying it could last some time.

And for more than six months, the 12 jurors at Manchester Crown Court have been hearing evidence about Letby and the 17 babies she is accused of either murdering or trying to kill.

If you want to know more about each child’s case, you can do so by heading here. A warning some of the details can be distressing to read.

We first heard from the prosecution, who set out their evidence, and a summary can be found here.

The defence has also set out its arguments - this included hearing from Lucy Letby herself. She is now being cross-examined by prosecutors for a third day.

When this section of the trial is complete, the defence will have a chance to ask one final set of questions before the judge summarises the evidence and asks the jury to retire to consider its verdict.

Why we can’t show you inside the courtroom

While the court takes a break for lunch, now is a good time to outline why we're not able to bring you live pictures or video from inside the courtroom.

Recently the law changed to allow the streaming of a very specific part of a trial process: judges delivering a sentence.

But the main part of a trial, where evidence is heard, can’t be filmed - in fact it’s illegal to take photographs in court.

The law, which has been in place for almost 100 years, is still rigorously enforced.

Authorities believe cameras could act as a distraction, be used to intimidate witnesses and deter people from giving evidence.

The same law bans sketching in court, so court artists have to draw from memory - making notes during hearings and leaving the courtroom to actually draw their pictures.

A recap on what we learned so far today

Gem O'Reilly

Live Reporter

The court has now risen for an early lunch break and we expect proceedings to resume in about an hour.

Here's what has happened so far today:

• Lead prosecutor Nick Johnson KC cross-examined Lucy Letby with questions relating to baby C and baby D, who she is accused of murdering
• Johnson asked Letby about baby C's decline and if she "enjoyed" the aftermath, which she denied
• He then asked Letby about the condition of baby D and the text messages that she sent the morning after the infant died
• The court was shown WhatsApp messages between Letby and another nurse, where the colleague remarked on the sudden death of three babies being unusual
• Letby denies all the charges against her, and will resume her third day of cross-examination when the court returns after lunch

Court breaks for early lunch at Letby request

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

Lucy Letby has just asked for a break.

She is told that she will be allowed a break, but before she has one she is asked about the matter of taking hand and footprints of a baby after death.

The nurse says that sometimes it's done before the baby dies.

Nick Johnson KC says: "I am going to suggest to you that that is untrue, that you are lying about it." She says: "I do not agree."

The court has now risen for an early lunch break and will reconvene at 1.45pm.

Letby denies falsifying paperwork

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

The court sees Lucy Letby's writing recorded on nursing records for a different baby, at the time that baby D collapsed.

Nick Johnson KC asks: "Were you really doing that as baby D was collapsing?"

Letby says: "I can’t give a definitive time."

Johnson continues: "Or have you tried to make the paperwork look like you were doing something else at the time of baby D’s collapse?"

Letby denies this, saying: "No, I’ve not falsified any paperwork."

Johnson asks for clarification: "Ever?"

She says "no", to which Johnson replies: "Well, we’ll come to that."

The prosecutor then says: "Baby D died because you injected her with air, didn't you?" Letby again says: "No."

Johnson adds: "Did you think that the paperwork wouldn’t tie you to baby D at the time of her collapse?"

Letby replies that she was looking after other babies too.

'Did you take the opportunity to sabotage baby D?'

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

Nick Johnson KC presses Letby about baby D, asking: "Were you looking after baby D while she [Caroline Oakley] was on a break?"

Letby responds: "No."

Johnson asks: "Who was?"

"I don't recall who was allocated to look after her," she says.

Johnson then asks: "Did you take the opportunity whilst Caroline Oakley was absent to sabotage baby D?" Letby replies: "No."

"When the alarms went off you were standing over her weren’t you?" the prosecutor says.

To which Letby replies: "I don’t recall."

"You had been in nursery one throughout, hadn’t you?" Johnson asks.

Letby responds: "I can't comment on that. I don't know for certain."

Letby asked about night of baby D's death

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

Lucy Letby says she believes that a delay in giving antibiotics contributed to the death of baby D.

NIck Johnson KC says: "They don’t guard against air embolus do they though...antibiotics?"

She replies: "No."

On the night of baby D's death, Letby was responsible for two other babies in nursery one (the intensive care room).

Another nurse, Caroline Oakley, was the designated nurse for baby D. Oakley has given evidence that she was on a break when baby D collapsed.

Asked if she accepts this, Letby says: "Yes."

Nurse remarked to Letby about sudden death of three babies

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

The court is now shown more WhatsApp messages, this time between Lucy Letby and a different colleague.

The other nurse remarks that it's odd that three babies had all died suddenly on the unit that month.

Nick Johnson KC asks Letby: "Were you worried people starting to put two and two together?"

She answers: "No."

Johnson says that more than three months after baby D died, Letby searched for the baby's father on Facebook.

He asks her: "You didn’t really forget baby D did you Lucy Letby?"

She replies: "I didn’t recall specific events about her."

'I can't stop crying,' Letby texted colleague

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

Nick Johnson KC asks Lucy Letby if she'd say she has a good memory. She says yes.

The court then sees WhatsApp messages, which Letby exchanged with another nurse a few days after baby D died.

She says "I can't stop crying", and her colleague suggests that she sees a counsellor and takes time off.

Letby says back: "Work is always my priority."

Prosecution resumes questioning about baby D

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

The court is resuming. The judge is in place, Lucy Letby is back in the witness box, and the jury are in. Nick Johnson KC is back on his feet, continuing to ask the nurse about baby D.

Johnson tells Letby that he's been told to keep his voice up, as the proceedings are being beamed to other courtrooms.

He asks her if she'll say if she finds it intimidating, as that's not intended. Very quietly, she replies: "Yes."

Letby is speaking very quietly. She's not looking at Johnson, who's standing at a right angle to her. Instead she's looking straight ahead of her, towards the jury.

Find support on BBC Action Line website

This is an extremely distressing case. So if you, or someone you know, needs help after reading about it, the details of organisations offering assistance can be found on the BBC Action Line website.

Court to take a brief break

There's now a 15 minute break in the hearing at Manchester Crown Court.

The court sits between 10.30am and 4.15pm every day and there's a 15 minute break in the morning, and another in the afternoon.

There's also an hour's lunch break - usually at 1pm.

Court shown text about 'absolutely distraught' parents

Judith Moritz

Inside the courtroom

The court is shown a text message that Lucy Letby sent to another nurse, the morning after baby D died.

She wrote: "Parents absolutely distraught, dad screaming."

Nick Johnson KC challenges Letby: "When you said that you didn’t really remember baby D, that was a lie wasn’t it?"

She replies: "No, I didn’t have any great recollection of the events."

Johnson adds: "This was a dramatic and shocking incident wasn’t it?"

To which Letby responds: "Yes."

The prosecutor continues: "You remembered it very well when you spoke to the police didn’t you?"

"No," Letby says.

Johnson: "You’re enjoying all of this aren’t you Lucy Letby?" Letby: "No."