UK - Nurse Lucy Letby, Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #26

[Tortoise]

4:08pm

Mr Johnson says he has 'deliberately not spent a long amount of time' on handover sheets.
He says Letby hasn't told the truth on them, as the truth doesn't help her.
He says the point is very simple for the notes overall - the notes contain admissions, regarding her 'isolation from friends'. He says it has been categorically proved that was a lie, as shown by her social engagements [in a folder]. .
He says after Letby left the neonatal unit, she put in a 'lying Datix form', for Letby 'getting her defence in first'. The messages Letby sent 'clearly showed she knew there was going to be an investigation'.
The Datix form, timed 3pm on June 30, 2016 is a "devious effort to avoid suspicion."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 22 - prosecution closing speech

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

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Moll]

What was the lying Datix form? Sorry, I'm still not fully up to speed!

 

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
1m


Mr Johnson is now taking the jury through a list - of commons factors between the children in this case

 

[Tortoise]

What was the lying Datix form? Sorry, I'm still not fully up to speed!

I think there were two actually, just to confuse things.

The first one saying baby O had lost peripheral access, which would mean air couldn't have been injected, and the second one they say she took a bung off the baby's IV line and then said she had found it like that and it was a danger for accidental air embolus.

Chester Standard Updates - LIVE: Lucy Letby trial, June 8 - cross-examination continues

12:48pm

Letby is asked to look at a Datix form she had written [a form used by staff when issues have been highlighted, such as clinical incidents], on the documentation ['Employees involved' has Letby's name].
The form said 'Infant had a sudden acute collapse requiring resusctiation. Peripheral access lost.'
Dr Brearey said the information in the form was 'untrue', and he said he didn't believe at any point IV access was lost.
Asked about this, Letby says: "Well, that's Dr Brearey's opinion."
The form adds: 'SB [Brearey] wishes amendment to incident form - Patient did not lose peripheral access, intraosseuous access required for blood samples only.'
Letby says she does not believe her Datix report was untrue at the time.
NJ: "You were very worried that they were on to you, weren't you?"
LL: "No."

Chester Standard Updates - Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 9 - cross-examination continues

A Datix form for the clinical incident is shown to the court - June 30, 2016, 3pm, with the port on one of the lumens noted to not have a bung on the end and was therefore 'open'. Registrar informed. Letby is the reporter of the incident.
Mr Johnson says this was a potential case of accidental air embolus which Letby had reported.
NJ: "You had your thinking cap on, didn't you?"
LL: "No."
Letby said this was something which needed to be reported.
NJ: "You removed the port and covered it as a cinical incident, didn't you?"
LL: "No."
NJ: "This is an insurance policy - so you could show the hospital was so lax..."
LL: "No."
NJ: "It was to cover for accidental air embolus."
LL: "No."

 

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
4m


The children who were found with swelling/blood in their throats were: Babies C, E, G, H, N, K

 

[Moll]

Thanks, Tortoise. I didn't register when that was gone through previously that 30 June 2016 was after she'd left the unit.

 

[Tortoise]

Thanks, Tortoise. I didn't register when that was gone through previously that 30 June 2016 was after she'd left the unit.

It was her last day, but she went off on holiday and wasn't told she was being seconded until her return.

 

[Tortoise]

4:28pm

Mr Johnson lists the common events for the babies in this indictment by categorisation.
By ones who collapsed despite having good air entry but saturations were dropping: Child A, C, D, G, H [second event], I [third event and fourth event], M, O [twice], P.
By bleeds and/or bleeding in throat: Child C, E, G, H, N, plus 'false note by Letby' in K.
Unusual discolouration: Child A, B, D, E, I, M, O, H.
Suffered life-threatening collapses out of nowhere then recovered very quickly: Child B, D, H [both collapses], I [events one to three], M, N, O, P.
Children who collapsed when designated nurse left or leaving the room: Child C, D, G [first event], I [second event and fourth event], K, N [first event], P [third collapse - when doctors were out of the room], Q [slight variation - when Letby got herself out of the room].
Premature babies screaming/crying at time of collapse: Child E, I, N.
Children who collapsed shortly after being visited by their parents: Child B, H, I [first event], M, N, O, P.
Children who recovered quickly when taken to other hospitals: Child H, I [after 3rd collapse], N, Q.
Mr Johnson says Child K's tube never moved after being transferred out of the Countess.
When Letby participated in inappropriate post-death behaviours: Child C, I, O.
Poisoned by insulin: F, L.
Mr Johnson says if Letby had not sabotaged seven babies, they would all have gone home. The other 10 babies, Letby attempted to murder.

4:28pm

That concludes the prosecution's closing speech.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 22 - prosecution closing speech

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

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Moll]

Bravo, Mr Johnson.
And thank you Tortoise!

 

[Parker Knoll]

Somebody buy NJ a drink.
Utterly DAMNING evidence.
IMHO.

 

[MachinaCollecta]

Phew. Emotionally crushing.

 

[Tortoise]

It's felt like a marathon.

Mr Johnson has worked his socks off.

 

[MachinaCollecta]

It's felt like a marathon.

Mr Johnson has worked his socks off.

Thank you and the many others for posting all of these updates and helping us get through it.

 

[Parker Knoll]

Yes - Thank you all !

 

[Dcflag]

So with 6 days left, could we be seeing the jury go out earlier?

 

[MachinaCollecta]

So with 6 days left, could we be seeing the jury go out earlier?

I can’t imagine the defence taking up that amount of time so could be room for them and then the prosecution closing after that (if they’re allowed a response, I might be wrong).

 

[dalsglen]

Not marynnu, but if the baby was in the crib or isolette and positioned safely on their side, you would need one hand to hold the feed once you got it started. However, , I simply can’t imagine texting while doing a NG feeding. What a horrible practice, if that’s what she did. You need to be observing the baby and monitor during a feeding— not texting. Horrible// If that’s what she did, if guilty. Editing to add— and of course she’s been accused of much worse— it’s inconceivable at times.

As a parent, I'm guilty of texting whilst giving a ng feed, definitely a syringe and likely a gravity feed. It's not great, I know, but it's certainly far from difficulty to do.

 

[MachinaCollecta]

As a parent, I'm guilty of texting whilst giving a ng feed, definitely a syringe and likely a gravity feed. It's not great, I know, but it's certainly far from difficulty to do.

I suppose, in fairness, you also know your child acutely and have the most profound interest in their wellbeing, whereas in a clinical context as someone who is a stranger it is probably looked far more down on.

 

[DianaWW]

So with 6 days left, could we be seeing the jury go out earlier?

I don’t think they will. I think the defence will be done tomorrow, but wouldn’t surprise me at all if the judge’s summing up takes the whole of next week! JMO.

 

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue
·
25m


In his final remarks to the jury after a nine month trial at Manchester Crown Court, prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said "that’s our case and you'll let us know if we’re right"



Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
25m


Lucy Letby's defence counsel, Ben Myers KC, will begin his closing speech tomorrow.