UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #21

[Marie Bell]

No idea. I would think it would be unfair if the prosecution couldn't ask her any questions they liked as long as it related to evidence heard in the trial. But perhaps you're right. Hopefully there's a legal expert here lurking...

The prosecution can 'put to her' its own case. So, yes, it can ask her about any of the evidence that was dealt with in the prosecution case. Usually done with leading questions: e.g. "in police interview you said this, didn't you".

 

[ColourPurple]

Letby texted colleague saying she felt 'shoved in a corner' after move from neonatal unit
The defendant didn't work on the Countess of Chester neonatal unit beyond 30 June 2016.

The court has previously heard how Lucy Letby was moved to the hospital's risk and patient safety office in July 2016 after concern was raised over her possible link to incidents with babies on the neonatal unit.

Letby says she "wasn't happy" about the decision at the time.

Her barrister, Ben Myers KC, pulls up messages sent by Letby to a nurse in August 2016 about the hospital's internal review process. She had taken advice from a union representative not to talk to anyone about the situation.

"Feels a bit like I'm being shoved in a corner and forgotten about by the trust, it's my life and career," she texted a colleague on 8 August.

In a later message she says: "Still can't believe this has happened.

"It's making me feel like I should hide away by saying not speak to anyone and going on for months etc."

Recalling how this was making her feel at the time, Letby says it was "very hurtful".

"I had to pretend I wanted to leave the unit and work in a different area," she said.

Lucy Letby trial: Facebook searches of nurse accused of murdering babies read out in court

Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse, has been back in court for another day of cross-examination by the prosecution on Friday. She is accused of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others, and denies all the charges.

news.sky.com

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
In one message exchange with a nursing colleague, the pair are discussing that there had been an issue with Child O's UVC line. It states in the messages that there was a port left open on the line

Dan O'Donoghue
Ms Letby said in those messages 'I thought it's a massive infection risk and risk of air embolism, don't know how long it had been like that'

Dan O'Donoghue
Mr Myers asks if knowing about air embolism was unusual - she says no and that it is 'part of training' and that nurses 'would be expected' to be aware of the dangers of air embolism

Well this is interesting for her to bring up for Baby O, bearing in mind she's been accused of using the port to administer air for Baby M , though I believe that was the port in the IV line rather than the UVC line.

Would the port merely being open be enough to cause an air embolism, or would it still need air to be injected into it?

Consultant paediatrician Dr Evans said using a syringe to inject air via a port would be slower than a direct injection into the bloodstream.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC asked: “Would it follow, if someone chose to do it that way, they would not necessarily be standing over the baby at the time of the collapse?”

Dr Evans replied: “Yes, because you would not necessarily get an instant collapse. It could have occurred over several minutes.

Baby boy collapsed because of ‘slow injection of air’, Lucy Letby’s trial hears

Letby, 33, is accused of trying to murder Child M on the afternoon of April 9 2016.

www.standard.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

[Cross-Examination has started!]


3:45pm

The court is resuming after a short break.
A picture from Letby's office is shown to the court. Letby says she would not have written it all at once.
The writing is at various angles. Asked about it: "That is what I do...I write things down."
It includes Letby's signature - "doodling".
Letby says "she couldn't say" if this was at the time she was being blamed.
There are repeated 'Everything is manageable', written six times.
A lady in the occupational department had said that to Letby, which 'resonated' with her.
The love hearts are "just doodling".
Various names including a doctor, Karen Rees - "director of nursing", Minna,
"They were important people to me at that time - they were the main people I could talk to."
Also written is "I can't do this any more"
Letby said she was "fighting for my life, my job"
Also written is "HELP ME" and "Please help".
Letby says "at this point I had lost everything...I just wanted someone to help me. I couldn't understand how all this was happening to me."
Another sheet is shown to the court. It has densely-packed handwriting at different angles.
The allegations were, Letby said: "beyond comprehension"
Mr Myers: "Could you cope with it?"
Letby: "No."
The note: "I really can't do this any more - I just want to be as it was I want to be happy in the job that I loved...Really I don't belong anywhere - I am a problem to those who know me..."
The note adds "Please help me [doctor] LOVE PLEASE HELP ME [doctor] You were my best friend [doctor]."
Becoming tearful, Letby denies causing harm or there was any truth in her intending to kill babies, in administering insulin.
"I only ever did my best."
That concludes Mr Myers questions.

3:46pm

Nicholas Johnson KC, for the prosecution, begins the cross-examination by asking why Letby becomes tearful when talking about herself, and not when the subject is about babies who have died.
Letby says she has been tearful for babies that have died.
Mr Johnson asks if there is anything Letby wishes to change about her evidence in the last few days. Letby says she cannot think of anything.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Wednesday, May 17 - defence continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more,…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[DianaWW]

And what a start!

 

[ColourPurple]

[Cross-Examination has started!]

Nicholas Johnson KC, for the prosecution, begins the cross-examination by asking why Letby becomes tearful when talking about herself, and not when the subject is about babies who have died.
Letby says she has been tearful for babies that have died.
Mr Johnson asks if there is anything Letby wishes to change about her evidence in the last few days. Letby says she cannot think of anything.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Wednesday, May 17 - defence continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more,…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

Wow, really didnt expect it to start today!

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue

Ms Letby wept as Mr Myers asked her if she had every harmed any babies - she said no, she had only ever did her best for them

Dan O'Donoghue
Nick Johnson KC has now begun his cross examination - he opens by asking Ms Letby is there's 'any reason you cry when you talk about yourself but not dead or injured children', she says 'I have cried about some of the babies'

Mr Johnson accuses Ms Letby of suggesting Dr Ravi Jayaram 'deliberately misled this jury'. Dr Jayaram had said in evidence he saw Ms Letby standing over Child K when she was desaturating - she said yesterday that this did not happen

https://twitter.com/x/status/1658849004162015239

 

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
7m

Nick Johnson KC has now begun his cross examination - he opens by asking Ms Letby is there's 'any reason you cry when you talk about yourself but not dead or injured children', she says 'I have cried about some of the babies'

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
59s

Mr Johnson accuses Ms Letby of suggesting Dr Ravi Jayaram 'deliberately misled this jury'. Dr Jayaram had said in evidence he saw Ms Letby standing over Child K when she was desaturating - she said yesterday that this did not happen

 

[Tortoise]

3:58pm

Mr Johnson provides Letby with a copy of her defence statement - "quite a long document", running to 20 pages.
Mr Johnson says Letby has been served with documents over the past few years.
He says in that time, Letby would have had time to look back on her police interviews in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and had in her statement accepted those interviews as being accurate.
Mr Johnson asks if Letby ever said Dr Ravi Jayaram was a liar who was inventing.
"When was the first time you said that?"
LL: "I can't recall"
J: "I'm going to suggest a date to you - yesterday."
There is a silence. Letby then says she had never accepted in police interview Dr Jayaram's version of events.
Mr Johnson accuses Letby of saying Dr Jayaram had been deliberately misleading a jury when giving evidence.
He says that was never put to Dr Jayaram by the defence.
"Was Mr Myers suggesting to Dr Jayaram that he never saw you looking over [Child K]?"
"It is very difficult to remember everything over a seven-month trial."
Letby denies she is lying now by not remembering.
Mr Johnson asks about handover sheets. He suggests that when Letby moves from property to property, she took the handover sheets with her.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Wednesday, May 17 - defence continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more,…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

I thought he might start like this, by attacking her character/credibility.

 

[ColourPurple]

Prosecution begins questioning of Letby​

Nick Johnson KC, for the prosecution, has now begun his cross-examination of Lucy Letby.
"Ms Letby, is there any reason why you cry when you talk about yourself but don't cry when you talk about seriously injured children?" he asks the defendant.
"No," she says.
"That's your answer is it?"
"Yes."

Lucy Letby trial: Facebook searches of nurse accused of murdering babies read out in court

Lucy Letby, a former neonatal nurse, has been back in court for another day of cross-examination by the prosecution on Friday. She is accused of the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of 10 others, and denies all the charges.

news.sky.com

 

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
1m

Mr Johnson asks about handover sheets (found in her home) He suggests that when Ms Letby moved from property to property, she took the handover sheets with her. He is now going back over where Ms Letby lived, from her first academic year in 2008 at Chester Uni

 

[ColourPurple]

NOW the questioning begins!

 

[Tortoise]

4:04pm

Mr Johnson says Letby completed a three-year nursing course, during which time Letby confirms she was living in student accommodation in Chester, in more than one place, changing each academic year.
Letby says she began her employment in January 2012. Before that time, she went back to her parents' place in Hereford, and then moved to Ash House when obtaining her job.
She then went to a flat of one of her colleagues, living there alone from March 15, 2014 to June 1, 2015, then back to Ash House. She moved to her Westbourne Road home in April 2016.
Mr Johnson asks who provides the uniforms: "The hospital," says Letby.
The staff launder the uniforms, and Letby says she launders them every time they are used. There is a rotation of three uniforms.
Mr Johnson says when laundering, the pockets would be emptied. He asks where the items would be placed. Letby: "I would accumulate papers in [random] places in my home."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Wednesday, May 17 - defence continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more,…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Marantz4250b]

I thought he might start like this, by attacking her character/credibility.

This is going to be brutal, me thinks!

 

[Marie Bell]

Clumsy and worthless opening question by the prosecution in my opinion. That question will be torn to shreds when Myers re-directs, I'm sure.

 

[Tortoise]

4:07pm

The computerised records are discussed.
Mr Johnson says two people are involved in the administration of medication - one is the 'user' and the other is the 'co-signer'. Letby agrees.
Mr Johnson asks if the record shows who created the record. Letby says you would have to log on to the 'Meditech' system with your login details.
"It requires two people to sign".
She says either of the nurses would fill in the details of the medication. The co-signer would verify the information.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Wednesday, May 17 - defence continues

The trial of Lucy Letby, who denies murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital neonatal unit and attempting to murder 10 more,…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Marantz4250b]

Clumsy and worthless opening question by the prosecution in my opinion. That question will be torn to shreds when Myers re-directs, I'm sure.

It's almost as though he's repeating some of the comments made on here!!!

 

[Sweeper2000]

I wonder what mr Johnson would have said if she turned around and said “is there a reason why you don’t cry about the babies”? “At the end of the day I’ve had hours of being questioned about these traumatic events and now am conditioned to it”.

 

[ColourPurple]

Letby questioned on denial that colleague saw her standing over baby's cot​

Nick Johnson KC, for the prosecution, puts to Lucy Letby that she suggested a doctor, who recalled seeing the defendant standing over Child K's cot as she desaturated in February 2016, was not telling the truth in court.
"Did you in police interviews ever suggest that [the doctor] is a liar who invented seeing you standing over Child K?"
Letby says she didn't.
"When was the first time you said that, Lucy Letby?" he asks, to which the defendant says she wouldn't know a definitive date.
"I'm going to suggest a date to you - yesterday."
Mr Johnson adds: "I am going to suggest to you that when [the doctor] was cross examined by [defence barrister Ben Myers KC] on your behalf, that suggestion was never made."

https://news.sky.com/story/lucy-letby-murder-trial-latest-former-nurse-tells-court-why-she-repeatedly-searched-for-dead-babys-mother-on-facebook-12868375