Lucy Letby: Nurse made ‘absolutely shocking’ comment after death of murdered baby, court hears
As the trial continues, Yahoo News UK sets out who Letby is, her background and what she has been charged with.
Lucy Letby asked whether a baby was “leaving here alive”, in comments described as “absolutely shocking”, the nurse’s murder trial heard.
Letby, 33, is alleged to have made the comment ahead of a planned transfer of the infant from the Countess of Chester Hospital to another hospital.
The youngster continued to deteriorate as his heart rate and blood oxygen levels dropped, and died less than four hours later before the move could take place.
Recalling the conversation with Letby, a consultant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, told Manchester Crown Court: “I just said, the transport team are going to be here soon, almost thinking out loud.
“Literally counting down the minutes before they arrived and desperately wanting this baby to get better, and thinking we are just totally our of our depth and maybe someone else can help. Staff nurse Lucy Letby then said ‘he is not leaving here alive, is he?’, which I found absolutely shocking at the time.”
“I said ‘don’t say that’ and left the room.”
Letby is accused of murdering the newborn infant, known as Child P, and his triplet brother, Child O, on successive day shifts in June 2016.
The consultant said she remembered another “unusual” event involving Letby after Child P had been pronounced dead, where the nurse was “almost very animated” as she asked the parents if they wanted her to make a memory box for the child. The consultant told the court: “I remember thinking this is not a new baby, this is a dead baby. Why are you so excited about this? I found that very inappropriate, the way it was said.”
Letby denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others between June 2015 and June 2016, while she was working as a neonatal nurse.
Latest updates on the Lucy Letby trial:
Doctor ‘shocked’ as Lucy Letby asked if baby was ‘leaving here alive’ (Hereford Times, 2 min)
Nurse fainted after she and fellow medics couldn't revive baby, court told (Sky News, 2 min)
Lucy Letby ‘tried to murder baby after bid to remove her from duties refused’ (Hereford Times, 4 min)
Parents of triplets ‘begged for baby to be moved to new hospital after brothers died’ (Independent, 2 min)
Nurse tried to murder baby within two hours of her birth, trial hears (Sky News, 2 min)
Who is Lucy Letby and where is she from?
Letby's address has been given in court as Arran Avenue, Hereford, but the 33-year-old is known to have lived in the Blacon area of Chester.
She worked at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.
In a 2013 interview with the Chester and District Standard newspaper, the nurse said she cared for babies requiring various levels of support.
She had worked at the unit as a student nurse during three years of training before qualifying as a children’s nurse at the University of Chester in 2011.
Letby said she started working at the unit after graduating.
When was Lucy Letby arrested and what is she charged with?
Letby was arrested three times over the space of two years during an investigation into baby deaths at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit.
The first arrest was in July 2018, on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of six babies. She was bailed.
Letby was then rearrested in June 2019, again on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of six babies. This time, she was also arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of three additional babies. She was bailed.
Finally, in November 2020, Letby was rearrested on suspicion of the murder of eight babies and the attempted murder of nine babies.
One day later, police charged Letby with eight counts of murder and 10 of attempted murder. The charges related to a period between June 2015 and June 2016.
She pleaded not guilty to the charges at a hearing at Manchester Crown Court in October 2021.
In June last year, Letby had one not guilty verdict recorded for one of the murder charges.
It meant that when she went on trial in October last year, she faced seven murder charges (five boys and two girls) and 10 attempted murder charges (five boys and five girls).
Letby denies the alleged offences, which are said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016.
