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

[Sundial]

3:07pm

Mr Johnson says the text to a doctor colleague by Letby is made at 11.29am, mentioning 'small amounts of blood from mouth & 1ml from NG.', and another note is on her family communication. Mr Johnson says Letby omitted that in interview.
He says the truth is Letby made a damaging admission in interview, and "proves she sabotaged" Child N before the arrival of the doctor.
'Sorry if I was off during intubation, Bernie winds me up faffing etc , I like things to be tidy and calm...'
Mr Johnson says Bernadette Butterworth was 'getting on Lucy Letby's nerves that day'.
Letby recorded another 1ml of blood at 6pm.
When the Alder Hey transport team arrived, a female doctor said Letby was "agitated" and approached the doctor saying "who are these people? Who are these people?"
Mr Johnson says this is contradictory to what Letby said in interview, when she said she was 'relieved' the transport team arrived. He says this is all 'part of the gaslighting' on her colleagues.
The female doctor felt Letby's behaviour was "out of character" from what she had previously experienced.
Dr Gibbs said at 7.40pm he was discussing matters with the transport team when someone called for help for Child N as his saturation levels had dropped. Mr Johnson asks if this was an innocent coincidence when all the doctors were 'distracted', 'in a huddle'.

3:13pm

Mr Johnson says thanks to the skill of the medical team, they were able to bring Child N back following resuscitation efforts. Child N's time in Alder hey was 'uneventful' and he was discharged three days later.
Professor Sally Kinsey said the blood seen by the male doctor at 8am could not have been spontaneous - "somebody caused the bleeding", and could not have been seen for the first time hours later by Letby, Mr Johnson says.
Mr Johnson says the person who injured Child N was "undoubtedly" Lucy Letby.

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

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned already, snipped and highlighted by me below.

“Bernie winds me up faffing etc , I like things to be tidy and calm...'

Bit of an insight here, it appears a new perspective (I’ve not heard previously at least). I found this Interesting considering this is a student she is supposedly mentoring. Winds her up? Wow.

Moo

 

[Tortoise]

I think I missed this and am a bit confused. Was the phone call to the parents definitely in the morning? When did the parents testify they came in in the morning and saw n with blood on him with ll doing nothing?

Father's agreed statement -

On the day Child N was due to come home, on June 15, the father was at work. He received a call from Lucy Letby saying Child N was 'a bit unwell' during the night, but was fine now. He did not get the impression that Child N was still unwell.
He then received a call from child N's mother to come to the hospital as soon as possible.
When he arrived, Lucy Letby was in the room with Child N, giving cares. There was "no urgency". Lucy said: "Hi. He's been a bit unwell during the night."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2


"He said he was "shocked" when he saw Child N, adding: "[His] skin was blueish in colour, all over his body.
"He had dried blood around his lips. His lips weren't fully covered in blood, there was loads spattered over him like he'd coughed.
"I remember being confused and thinking, 'what's wrong with him?'"
"No-one told us what happened, or why."

Lucy Letby: Dad found baby spattered in blood, trial hears

cross-exam -

Mr Johnson asks Letby when blood was seen orally on Child N.
Letby replies "the only time definitively" she recalled that was at 3pm. she says that is on her memory "sitting here now".
Mr Johnson says if she had recorded blood observations at the time, would she accept that now? Letby says she would, although it may have been based on what people had informed her at the time.
Mr Johnson says the one who would have informed her would have been the doctor colleague she "loved as a friend".
Letby's nursing note: '...infant transferred to nursery 1 on handover. Mottled, desaturating requiring Neopuff and oxygen.'

Letby's note, written at 1.53pm-2.10pm adds: 'unable to intubate - fresh blood noted in mouth and yielded via suction ++'.
Letby says the 3pm blood observation was the first one she could "definitively remember".
Mr Johnson says this note is a 'good hour' before that observation.
Letby denies Child N was bleeding from when she first got involved that day.

Letby says she knows there was blood recorded prior to 3pm.
Mr Johnson says the doctor colleague recalled, in evidence, seeing blood before the intubation process at 8am.
Benjamin Myers KC, for the defence, rises to say that in cross-examination, the doctor colleague did not rule out the possibility the blood was present after the attempt to intubate.
Mr Johnson says there was an attempt to intubate at 8am. Letby agrees. Letby also agrees with the observation there was swelling at the back of Child M's [N's] throat. She says she "cannot comment" further on what the doctor colleague saw.

Letby recorded in her notes, written at 1.53pm retrospectively: '...unable to intubate - fresh blood noted in mouth and yielded via suction ++'
Mr Johnson says the doctors could not see, for the blood. Letby says she cannot say what doctors observed.

Letby is asked about family communication with Child N's parents. A note by Letby at the time: 'Parents were contacted by S/N Butterworth during intubation. Both mobile phones switched off and no answer on landline. Message left. Call returned shortly after and parents were asked to attend. Have been present since.
'Both understandably upset...'
Agreed evidence said Child N's mother had said Lucy Letby had been in contact with them.
Letby says "it's a difference in recollection".
Mr Johnson says this is agreed evidence, it's the truth.
He says Letby's note "is a lie".
Letby: "no, it's not."
The mother recalled Child N 'had a bleed and was unwell', and said Letby had informed the parents of this.
Letby: "No, I disagree."
NJ: "But it's agreed evidence."
LL: "Well, I disagree with it now."

https://www.chesterstandard.co.uk/n...y-trial-june-7---cross-examination-continues/

 

[esther43]

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned already, snipped and highlighted by me below.

“Bernie winds me up faffing etc , I like things to be tidy and calm...'

Bit of an insight here, it appears a new perspective (I’ve not heard previously at least). I found this Interesting considering this is a student she is supposedly mentoring. Winds her up? Wow.

Moo

Was this Bernadette Butterworth - I thought was her superior?

 

[marynnu]

Was this Bernadette Butterworth - I thought was her superior?

Not sure of her grade, but she was a trained nurse.

 

[Parker Knoll]

Yes she means Bernadette Butterworth.

 

[esther43]

It says a couple of threads up she's a senior nurse. X

 

[Sundial]

Was this Bernadette Butterworth - I thought was her superior?

Perhaps I’m mistaken then; on one hand I thought it was wrote sn (senior nurse) but they also use the acronym “sn” as student nurse in records and there was reference to the student.

Equally though, its interesting how she expressed her as “winds her up”. For someone supposedly very composed I was surprised by her choice of words here. It feels particularly p**** by this person. Similar to the vibe I get from her towards some of her other colleagues. A lot of resentment going on IMO

If guilty etc
JMO

EBM; I can no longer edit my previous post, but I am mistaken, as this was not a student as I previously thought.

 

[Sundial]

It says a couple of threads up she's a senior nurse. X

My mistake then, apologies all. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[notsure]

My mistake then, apologies all. Thank you for clarifying.

It's still an interesting point you raised, regardless of the grade of the nurse. Using the word "faffing," which really indicates Bernie is someone who cares about what they're doing, cares about what's happening with the babies, instead of wanting to be constantly texting. IMO

 

[Jazmania]

Father's agreed statement -

On the day Child N was due to come home, on June 15, the father was at work. He received a call from Lucy Letby saying Child N was 'a bit unwell' during the night, but was fine now. He did not get the impression that Child N was still unwell.
He then received a call from child N's mother to come to the hospital as soon as possible.
When he arrived, Lucy Letby was in the room with Child N, giving cares. There was "no urgency". Lucy said: "Hi. He's been a bit unwell during the night."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2


"He said he was "shocked" when he saw Child N, adding: "[His] skin was blueish in colour, all over his body.
"He had dried blood around his lips. His lips weren't fully covered in blood, there was loads spattered over him like he'd coughed.
"I remember being confused and thinking, 'what's wrong with him?'"
"No-one told us what happened, or why."

Lucy Letby: Dad found baby spattered in blood, trial hears

cross-exam -

Mr Johnson asks Letby when blood was seen orally on Child N.
Letby replies "the only time definitively" she recalled that was at 3pm. she says that is on her memory "sitting here now".
Mr Johnson says if she had recorded blood observations at the time, would she accept that now? Letby says she would, although it may have been based on what people had informed her at the time.
Mr Johnson says the one who would have informed her would have been the doctor colleague she "loved as a friend".
Letby's nursing note: '...infant transferred to nursery 1 on handover. Mottled, desaturating requiring Neopuff and oxygen.'

Letby's note, written at 1.53pm-2.10pm adds: 'unable to intubate - fresh blood noted in mouth and yielded via suction ++'.
Letby says the 3pm blood observation was the first one she could "definitively remember".
Mr Johnson says this note is a 'good hour' before that observation.
Letby denies Child N was bleeding from when she first got involved that day.

Letby says she knows there was blood recorded prior to 3pm.
Mr Johnson says the doctor colleague recalled, in evidence, seeing blood before the intubation process at 8am.
Benjamin Myers KC, for the defence, rises to say that in cross-examination, the doctor colleague did not rule out the possibility the blood was present after the attempt to intubate.
Mr Johnson says there was an attempt to intubate at 8am. Letby agrees. Letby also agrees with the observation there was swelling at the back of Child M's [N's] throat. She says she "cannot comment" further on what the doctor colleague saw.

Letby recorded in her notes, written at 1.53pm retrospectively: '...unable to intubate - fresh blood noted in mouth and yielded via suction ++'
Mr Johnson says the doctors could not see, for the blood. Letby says she cannot say what doctors observed.

Letby is asked about family communication with Child N's parents. A note by Letby at the time: 'Parents were contacted by S/N Butterworth during intubation. Both mobile phones switched off and no answer on landline. Message left. Call returned shortly after and parents were asked to attend. Have been present since.
'Both understandably upset...'
Agreed evidence said Child N's mother had said Lucy Letby had been in contact with them.
Letby says "it's a difference in recollection".
Mr Johnson says this is agreed evidence, it's the truth.
He says Letby's note "is a lie".
Letby: "no, it's not."
The mother recalled Child N 'had a bleed and was After going outside for a bite to eat, they returned to the neonatal unit and found the blinds were down. A staff member on reception said Child N was "really unwell"unwell', and said Letby had informed the parents of this.
Letby: "No, I disagree."
NJ: "But it's agreed evidence."
LL: "Well, I disagree with it now."

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, June 7 - cross-examination continues

Thanks. I can't see any reference to the time the father was called, but it does say on the standard link you posted that after he arrived:

"After going outside for a bite to eat, they returned to the neonatal unit and found the blinds were down. A staff member on reception said Child N was "really unwell"

So presumably they were both on the unit before lunchtime. So they saw blood on N before lunchtime. And yeah weird recollection of Letby again hovering around a baby with blood on their mouth and doing nothing. Strange that more hasn't been made of this, at least in reporting.

 

[Tortoise]

Thanks. I can't see any reference to the time the father was called, but it does say on the standard link you posted that after he arrived:

"After going outside for a bite to eat, they returned to the neonatal unit and found the blinds were down. A staff member on reception said Child N was "really unwell"

So presumably they were both on the unit before lunchtime. So they saw blood on N before lunchtime. And yeah weird recollection of Letby again hovering around a baby with blood on their mouth and doing nothing. Strange that more hasn't been made of this, at least in reporting.

They were called during intubation which happened at around 8-9am.

 

[JosieJo]

"
The barrister then told the jury: 'If anyone tries to tell you there are no similarities in this case, you've got a list now'.

None of the babies can be identified for legal reasons, but Mr Johnson named each of the alleged murder victims as he listed those who would all have gone home from the Countess of Chester Hospital had Letby 'not sabotaged them'.

He then read out the names of the other 10 babies Letby is accused of trying to murder.

In his final words to the jury, he said: 'That is our case, and you'll let us know if it's right'."


Reading The Prosecution closing words was the first time in all these months I became properly emotional...hearing the babies full names being read out like that at the end must have been very powerful for the Jury

 

[Sundial]

It's still an interesting point you raised, regardless of the grade of the nurse. Using the word "faffing," which really indicates Bernie is someone who cares about what they're doing, cares about what's happening with the babies, instead of wanting to be constantly texting. IMO

And yet still, the poor nurse managed to “wind up” LL apparently.
Her demeanour has vastly changed from what we have previously heard about her, for me anyway. All my own thoughts obviously, JMO.

I

 

[ColourPurple]

It's still an interesting point you raised, regardless of the grade of the nurse. Using the word "faffing," which really indicates Bernie is someone who cares about what they're doing, cares about what's happening with the babies, instead of wanting to be constantly texting. IMO

The comment was made to doc Choc so IMO it was all about showing him how cool, calm and collected she was compared to Bernie.. which of course she would be if she had orchestrated the whole scenario in the first place, if guilty.

JMO

 

[ColourPurple]

'If anyone tries to tell you there are no similarities in this case, you've got a list now'


"Anyone" lol , I wonder who on earth he can mean...

I bet Myers was sitting there seething!

 

[Marantz4250b]

Again, shows the difference between UK and US. In US, they could have prepped the hell out of her before she testified so that there were no unexpected questions, nothing she didn’t have an answer for . Still amazes me that they can do that .

I see what you're saying. I think she's a totally lose cannon so I don't think that any level of prep would have helped her.

 

[katydid23]

My wifi was out last night---so I am just now catching up.


Mr Johnson says no concern was expressed to medical staff about Child I's abdomen by Letby.
"Why was Lucy Letby expressing concern to [Child I's mother] about the abdomen? Why did Lucy Letby not raise the issue with Dr Beebe?"
Mr Johnson says Letby was gaslighting the mother by suggesting a problem with Child I that didn't exist, until she caused the problem.


I 've never really picked up on that before---I do remember something about LL telling the mom about baby's tummy---but this is filling it out more. Hard to believe that someone could stand there with a mum and her new baby, and start telling lies in order to plan out the baby's murder, allegedly.

 

[katydid23]

12:09pm

Ashleigh Hudson said she was alerted to Child I at 1.06am by either the alarm going off or Child I crying. She said, in room 1, Letby was already there at Child I's cotside and "had her hands in the incubator". Mr Johnson says Letby had sabotaged Child I, and caused Child I to cry.
Mr Johnson says Letby 'put Ashleigh Hudson off' by saying: "She just needs to settle".
'Air++' was aspirated from Child I. Mr Johnson asks how that could have got there other than being forced in by Lucy Letby.
Dr Rachel Chang could see air entry and chest movement on Child I, but Child I wasn't recovering. She said Child I's death was "inexplicable".
Dr John Gibbs noted mottling on Child I. He said he "could not understand" why Child I had died and referred the case to the coroner.
The grieving parents agreed to bathe Child I. Mr Johnson said despite having two designated babies to care for, and Child I not being her designated baby, Letby met the parents.
The mother said: "Lucy came back in. She was smiling and kept going on about how she was present at [Child I's] first bath and how much she [Child I] had loved it."
"I wish she had just sopped talking. Eventually I think she realised and stopped. It wasn't what we wanted to hear then."

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

Hearing ALL of the timeline and details for poor Baby I is shocking. All of the premeditated acts, the fake observations, lies to the mum, the relentless attacks, even as she was returned from Arrowe, fully recovered.

On top of all that, she takes it all the way to alleged murder---then pops in to the grieving family's room, all smiley but for no apparent reason.

 

[katydid23]

12:17pm

Dr Evans says this was "another" case, in Child I, receiving air administered. He thought the nature of the collapse, the crying, the prolonged resuscitation, and the purple and white discolouration, were all symptoms of air embolus. There was no account of natural disease.
Dr Bohin said the cause of death was air embolus - from the unexpected catastrophic collapse, Child I being unsettled and agitated, the 'extremely unusual' crying meaning Child I was in excruciating pain.
In cross-examination, Dr Bohin was asked if she had a coherent explanation for an air embolus. Mr Johnson said Dr Bohin's answer, without hesitation, lasted for about 10 minutes. She was asked about Child I's poor weight gain, and Dr Bohin said that did not make her more likely to have a cardiac arrest [as Child I had].
Prof Arthurs said it was 'unusual' to see the amount of dilation in Child I's stomach. He excluded CPAP belly as a cause. He said it was "reasonable to infer" air administered.
Dr Marnerides said at the time of Child I's death, she had no acute illnesses or abnormalities in the bowel, other than presence of air. The presence of gas had "no pathological cause". He said the collapses were air administered from the NG Tube.
Mr Johnson says Child I's case is a "stark one". He says Letby made repeated efforts to kill Child I, and falsified notes both for Child I and another baby. She 'gave herself away' in the event with Ashleigh Hudson.
"Lucy Letby's behaviour in the aftermath [of Child I's death] was bizarre and inappropriate. She revelled in what she had done."
"Her voyeuristic tendencies caused her to look up [Child I's mother] on Facebook."
"Having killed her [Child I], she wrote a condolence card. It was still on her phone when it was seized by the police."

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

I know a lot of people dismissed the picture of the condolence card, saying lots of nurses send cards, and lots of people take pictures of cards they send----

But after seeing how relentless and deceitful and violent, she allegedly was---then seeing the bizarre aftermath, then sending a condolence card, after attacking the baby 4x----it is unreal.

 

[Kasmeer]

Whew, I'm relieved that's over; that was a very heavy closing statement. (Not sure "heavy" is the right word, just, hard to read, weighty, powerful...) I'll be interested to see what the defence closing statement can come up with, but I don't really see how they can counter that - I wonder how long it'll be? Not very, I think, although he may surprise me.

Glad to see all the similarities brought together so clearly, the weight of them all together will be compelling I think. NJ has done a great job of bringing things together, including a lot of minor details I hadn't realised the significance of until he made it so clear. Time will tell if BM can shake things up again, but I'm not sure he can based on what we've seen of the defence case so far, there just doesn't seem to be much available to him.

(No longer on the fence but kinda wishing I was back up there as I still don't want to believe what the evidence has told me...)