Lucy Letby: Nurse hovered over baby night before her death, jury told

Lucy Letby is accused of murdering seven babies and trying to kill 10 others

A mother whose baby was allegedly murdered by Lucy Letby has described seeing the nurse "hovering" over her daughter the evening before she died.

It is alleged that Ms Letby injected air into the bloodstream of the baby, known only as Child D, at the Countess of Chester Hospital in June 2015.

She has been charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at the hospital between 2015 and 2016.

Ms Letby, 32, denies 22 charges.

The prosecution allege Child D was the third child murdered by the nurse in a two-week period, with another baby suffering a life-threatening collapse during that time.

Child D's mother recalled seeing Ms Letby, originally from Hereford, in the neonatal unit hours before her daughter's death.

She told Manchester Crown Court: "I was pushed in (to the neonatal unit), she was sort of hovering around (my baby) but not doing much.

"She had a clipboard to take notes and she sort of was looking at a machine, but I didn't understand what she was doing.

"I asked if everything was OK and she said 'yes, she's fine'.

"I would have expected her to leave us but she just stuck around and was sort of just watching, looking over us.

"I wanted to tell her to go away, to give us some privacy."

The baby's mother earlier told the court how she had been waiting for more than 50 hours for treatment after her waters had broken early.

The jury heard the mother was initially sent away from the hospital but returned 24 hours later because she "didn't feel right".

"The baby didn't seem to move as well," she said. "I was concerned for infection because I hadn't been given any antibiotics."

While the woman was assessed by midwives, she said she had to wait another 24 hours.

"I felt very worried and scared, I felt unwell and not in control. I felt I was being forgotten by the staff," she said.

After 50 hours, doctors took the decision to deliver Child D via a Caesarean section.

Recalling the moment her daughter was shown to her in the delivery room, she said: "She seemed very lifeless, she didn't scream, there was no sound, everything was quiet in the room."

Lucy Letby denies 22 charges

After being moved to a ward, the mother was given the chance to hold her daughter for the first time.

"I had her, skin to skin, she didn't really have any movement, she was quite limp, she didn't have a good colour and she seemed to struggle to breathe.

"I tried to breast feed but she was completely limp, so yes I was quite worried.

"I was told by a doctor that I didn't need to worry, she was OK, her condition was due to being delivered through C-section.

"I didn't believe what he said, I was not happy. It was careless, blasé," she said.

Child D initially responded well to treatment, but later deteriorated and collapsed three times.

'Danger of dying'

The mother told the court that she was woken in the early hours of the morning by a nurse "who was in a panic".

She arrived at the intensive care unit with Child D's father as doctors were desperately trying to resuscitate the infant.

"We were just standing there looking as (Child D) was dying, someone was holding a phone to his ear, then a doctor told them to stop," she said.

In a statement, Child D's father said: "I was never given the impression that (her) condition was life-threatening and it didn't even cross my mind that she was in danger of dying.

"When she died, we just were not prepared for it."

'Bit numb'

Jurors at Manchester Crown Court were later shown a series of text messages between Ms Letby and colleagues in the hours after the Child D's death.

One message, sent by Ms Letby at 08:36, said: "We had such a rubbish night. Our job is just far too sad sometimes."

The colleague replied: "No what happened?"

Ms Letby replied: "We lost [Child D]."

The colleague: "What!!!! But she was improving. What happened? Wanna chat? I can't believe you were on again. You are having such a tough time."

Ms Letby then referred to Child D being "messed about a couple of times" and referred to a rash that "looked like overwhelming sepsis".

She said it had been a "shock", adding "feel a bit numb this time".

In the messages, Ms Letby said her job had "so many positives" but sometimes she wondered "how do such sick babies get through and others just die so unexpectedly".

"I think there is an element of fate involved. There is a reason for everything," she added.

Her colleague went on to respond saying: "You go to bed, you're an excellent nurse Lucy, don't forget it."

A court order bans the reporting of the identities of the children allegedly attacked by Ms Letby, while identifying parents or witnesses connected with the children is also not allowed.

The trial continues.