Lucy Letby takes to stand to deny ever trying to harm babies in her care
Killer nurse Lucy Letby has claimed she never intended or tried to harm any babies in her care.
The 34-year-old has already been convicted of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six others at Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.
But she is now on trial again at Manchester Crown Court accused of the attempted murder of another baby girl known as Child K after the previous jury failed to reach a verdict over the charge.
It’s alleged that Letby tried to kill Child K while she was working a night shift on the neonatal unit on February 17, 2016.
Consultant pediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram was working on the night of the alleged incident, the prosecution say, and walked into the unit’s intensive care nursery room less than two hours after Child K was born.
Dr Jayaram said he saw Letby standing next to the incubator ‘doing nothing’ as the infant’s blood oxygen levels dipped but no monitor alarms sounded.
Wearing a black jacket and navy blue top, Letby gave evidence at her retrial today after swearing an oath on the bible, confirming who she is and that she was 26 at the time of the alleged incident.
Ben Myers KC, defending, asked her a series of questions about Child K, what she recalls from that night and her previous intentions when caring for other babies.
‘Did you attempt to murder (Child K)?’ he asked. ‘No,’ replied Letby.
When asked ‘did you intend to do her any harm at all?’ Letby repeatedly said ‘no’.
Mr Myers said: ‘Do you accept you have ever intended to hurt any baby in your care?’ Letby responded: ‘No I don’t.’
He then asked Letby: ‘Do you accept that you have ever tried to harm any baby in your care?’ She said ‘no’ again.
Letby told the jury of six women and six men that she did not recall the particular events said to have taken place in nursery one, the intensive care room, at about 3.50am.
‘Do you remember seeing (Child K) in nursery one at any point?’ Mr Myers asked. ‘Yes,’ said Letby.
Mr Myers said: ‘Do you remember exactly when that was?’ Letby replied: ‘No, I can’t be specific to timings.’
He went on: ‘You know the allegation, based on the evidence of Dr Jayaram, is that he says he came in and (Child K) was desaturating to the low 80s and you were standing there doing nothing and no alarm was sounding. You understand that?’
‘Yes,’ said Letby.
Mr Myers said: ‘Do you recall any incident where Dr Jayaram comes in when something like that was happening?’ Letby replied: ‘No.’
‘Do you have any recollection of Dr Jayaram coming into nursery one when you were there by yourself?’ he asked. Letby said: ‘No I don’t.’
He then said: ‘Do you recall saying that (Child K) had just started to desaturate?’
“No,’ said Letby. Mr Myers said: ‘Do you remember being there at all at that time in those circumstances?’
Letby repeated: ‘No.’
‘Was there any incident that morning where you were trying to hurt (Child K)?’ said Mr Myers. ‘No,’ said Letby.
Mr Myers added: ‘Or you were not giving her the help that she needed?’ Letby again said ‘no’.
Mr Myers said: ‘When you say you don’t recall an incident like the one Dr Jayaram describes, by doing so do you accept that it happened?’ ‘No,’ said Letby.
He continued: ‘We have seen that there is a Facebook search on April 20, 2018 for the name (Child K’s surname)?’ Letby said: ‘Yes.’
Mr Myers said: ‘Why were you searching for (Child K’s surname) on your Facebook a little over two years after this event is said to have taken place?’
Letby replied: ‘I’m not sure. I don’t have recollection of doing that at the time or now why I did.’
Mr Myers said: ‘Is it linked to any attempt to do her harm?’
Letby said: ‘No.’
Child K was transferred to a specialist hospital later on February 17 because of her extreme prematurity.
She died there three days later, although the prosecution does not allege Letby caused her death.
Letby, of Hereford, denies a single count of attempted murder.
A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of the surviving and dead children involved in the case.
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