UK - Nurse Lucy Letby Faces 22 Charges - 7 Murder/15 Attempted Murder of Babies #12

[Tortoise]

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
6m

The court is being read statements from the parents of Child N. The boy's father recalled receiving a call from Ms Letby, who told him that his son had been a bit unwell' during the night of June 15.

Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
6m

He and his partner went to the hospital, where he found Ms Letby caring for Child N. He said he was 'shocked' when he saw his son, as he had dried reddy-brown blood around the mouth and his skin was 'blueish in colour'

https://twitter.com/MrDanDonoghue
Dan O'Donoghue

@MrDanDonoghue
·
5m

Soon after, Child N required resuscitation - he eventually stabilised after a breathing tube was fitted

 

[Tortoise]

11:01am

Cheshire Police intelligence analyst Claire Hocknell is now talking the court through the first of two sequences of events for Child N.
The first is a Facebook message from a Countess of Chester Hospital doctor at 11.56am on June 2, asking Lucy Letby for an 'opinion on something'.
Lucy Letby replies: "Hope I can help!"
Child N is born via C-section at 1.42pm, weighing 1.67kg, at 34 weeks plus 4 days gestation. His 'APGAR' scores, recording how well Child N was doing immediately after birth, are 9/10 at 1 minute and 9/10 at 5 minutes.
Nurse Caroline Oakley records Child N was admitted to the neonatal unit at 2pm, and Child N had 'prematurity and clotting disorder'.
A blood sample was taken at 2.30pm.
A clinical note by Dr Anthony Ukoh reports: '34+4 baby boy cried immediately, required no active resus'.
'Not for IM Vit K for now until haemophilia status known'.
'Observations: ...intermittently grunting++'

11:03am

A desaturation down to 67% oxygen saturation, lasting one minute, is recorded by nurse Caroline Oakley at 3.10pm.
The nurse adds, in a nursing note: '[Child N] Allowed to rest. Sounds very mucousy. Grunting intermittently...dropped saturations to 67% when upset; temp being recorded and required 60% O2 to recover...awaiting blood results before being given Vit K.'

11:06am

The note adds: 'Decision made to screen and [nil by mouth], IV fluids/Vit K IV as prescribed as still grunting'

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue
·
1m

Cheshire Police intelligence analyst Claire Hocknell is now talking the court through sequencing evidence for Child N

 

[Tortoise]

11:12am

An x-ray result before 6pm recorded that Child N likely had an infection.
Nurse Caroline Oakley recorded at 6.47pm that Child N's temperature, which had been low, was recovering.
A family communication is recorded: 'Dad has visited baby on unit and updated by [Belinda] Simcock. She has also visited mum... and updated...'
A haemophilia diagnosis is confirmed for Child N.

11:14am

Lucy Letby is recorded as starting her night shift on June 2 at 7.30pm, in time for the 7.30pm-8pm staff handover.
Letby is a designated nurse, with shift leader being Melanie Taylor and other designated nurses being Christoper Booth and Sophie Ellis.
Booth has two babies in room 1, including Child N, Ellis had one in room 2 and two in room 3, and Letby had two in room 4. Two babies were in transitional care, and another baby was 'rooming in with her parents' - that baby's designated nurse was Letby.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[JosieJo]

As well as LL being present for all
Other patterns ...imo

" just after the designated nurse left the room" how many times have we heard this

Also

.. 2 babies who had slight blood sugar problems temporarily after birth ..just happened to have insulin overdoses.

Baby with mild haemophilia ..happened to bleed following potential inflicted trauma

A baby who was ? NEC projectile vomited emitting far more milk than legitimately given

If these are crimes they certainly show a pattern of someone choosing the exact right time and right method to try and avoid detection

 

[Sweeper2000]

As well as LL being present for all
Other patterns ...imo

" just after the designated nurse left the room" how many times have we heard this

Also

.. 2 babies who had slight blood sugar problems temporarily after birth ..just happened to have insulin overdoses.

Baby with mild haemophilia ..happened to bleed following potential inflicted trauma

A baby who was ? NEC projectile vomited emitting far more milk than legitimately given

If these are crimes they certainly show a pattern of someone choosing the exact right time and right method to try and avoid detection

I was wondering about baby g. I know it’s recorded that more milk was vomited than fed but is there any way anything else could account for that increased volume? Like stomach secretions or saliva? The stuff they aspirate?

 

[infinit]

Question to anyone who knows - Do the jury have to review each charge in isolation or can they take into account the themes across the charges to decide a verdict? Proving beyond a reasonable doubt would seem difficult for some of these if you purely look at that instance and ignore everything else.

 

[DinerMite]

Wonder if the member of staff referred to in the texts is the same as the one on the stand recently where she became upset? Voicing my wonders out loud is all

 

[Sweeper2000]

Question to anyone who knows - Do the jury have to review each charge in isolation or can they take into account the themes across the charges to decide a verdict? Proving beyond a reasonable doubt would seem difficult for some of these if you purely look at that instance and ignore everything else.

either and or. I’m guessing but I don’t think all would reach the bar.

 

[JosieJo]

I was wondering about baby g. I know it’s recorded that more milk was vomited than fed but is there any way anything else could account for that increased volume? Like stomach secretions or saliva? The stuff they aspirate?

The stomach was aspirated prior to the feed ..so it didn't appear that there was any residue...plus the pH of the aspirate was not consistent with any milk being in the stomach at the time

 

[GoodDayToYouSir]

Question to anyone who knows - Do the jury have to review each charge in isolation or can they take into account the themes across the charges to decide a verdict? Proving beyond a reasonable doubt would seem difficult for some of these if you purely look at that instance and ignore everything else.

I think you have to review every charge in isolation in the context of deciding whether or not a murder or attempted murder has taken place in the first instance. Once you’ve decided which charges if any have been shown to be murders or attempted murders, then you decide whether LL is guilty of the charges. At that point, patterns of behaviour and themes would become relevant and would likely influence the verdict.

But in reality, I think that once you find a person guilty of one attempted murder or murder, it’s pretty easy to then conclude that they are guilty of all other charges where it has been proved that a murder or attempted murder has taken place (on the basis that it is so unlikely that there would be two separate serial killers operating in the same hospital at the same time independently of one another). Subject of course to any exculpatory evidence in relation guilt of the other charges .

 

[Tortoise]

If anyone else wants to continue with the updates please jump in.

I'll update the media thread

 

[Sweeper2000]

11:20am

Letby messages 'We have got a baby with haemophilia'
Reply: 'How many weeks?'
LL: '34'
R: 'oh'
LL: 'Everyone bit panicked by seems of things but baby appears fine'
R: 'male?
LL: 'yeah'
LL: 'Oh and had weird FB message from [doctor] earlier...'
Letby adds she does not know much about haemophilia. Her colleague replies to be careful with cannula and blood samples.

11:17am

A few minutes after entering the neonatal unit, Letby Whatsapps a colleague and says she had a 'paper handover' as colleague Caroline had gone home.
Nurse Christopher Booth records 'care taken over approx 2000...oxygen saturations predominantly in mid 90s-100%'. He also records the usual handover checks.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

11:27am

The conversation continues back on work, asking why there was a staff shortage on the unit. One of the staff members is speculated to be off with stress.
11:26am

The conversation continues about discussion of other babies, and Letby messages her colleague: 'Had strange message from [doctor] earlier...'
Reply: 'Did u? Saying what?' 'Go commando?
Laughing emojis are replied by Letby.
Letby: 'Asking when I was working...'
R: 'Think he likes you too...'
LL: '...Just wants my opinion on something'
R: 'Hmm'
LL: 'Do you think he's being odd?
R: 'Thought as flirty as u'
LL: 'Shut up!'
R: 'What?!'
LL: 'I don't flirt with him!'
R: 'Ok'
LL: 'Certainly don't fancy him haha just nice guy'
R: 'Ok'

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

11:36am

Nurse Ashleigh Hudson takes over care of Child N for the day shift on June 3.
'Tachypnoeic on handover, unsettled'
11:34am

Nurse Booth added, up to 2.04am: 'No further episodes observed. Oxygen saturations have been consistently mid 90s-100%...in view of earlier episode, infant remains nil by mouth...'.
11:33am

Further observations are recorded regularly for Child N up to 1am.
Child N then suffered a desaturation at 1.05am.
Nurse Christopher Booth: 'One episode whilst I was on my break, whereby infant was crying++ and not settling.
He became dusky in colour, desaturating to 40s. Responded to facial oxygen within 1-2 minutes, crying [subsided] after 30 minutes'. The note adds Child N's colour returned to pink perfusion.

11:28am

The conversation on Whatsapp, now continuing after 10pm, discusses another baby's condition.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

11:52am

The sequence of events goes up to June 4 at 3am, where Christopher Booth records 'No significant desaturations, bradycardias or apnoeic episodes observed overnight...'
11:49am

Nurse Christopher Booth, at the time of the night shift handover for June 3-4, records at 8pm Child N was settled.
A family communication note by nurse Hudson: 'Both parents updated on current condition and plan of care. Mum very anxious, worried about baby being in the incubator. Explained need for it, to keep baby warm and make observation easier...'
11:47am

A dose of vitamin K is prescribed for Child N during the day shift.
Nurse Ashleigh Hudson records a 'slightly mucky aspirate' for Child N towards the end of the day shift, at about 6pm.
The note of a summary of care between 8am-6pm records Child N was 'settled for the rest of the day', with 'minimal aspirates obtained. Aspirates clear with tiny old blood specks'.
'Paeds have liased with AHCH'
11:42am

Dr Sudeshna Bhowmik records a list of 'problems' for Child N, including prematurity, jaundice and respiratory distress.
A plan was to discuss with Alder Hey Children's Hospital haemotology, and that discussion was carried out.
11:39am

Letby messages the same colleague: 'been busy...' adding what had happened to a number of babies during the night shift, and what staff on duty had been doing.
She adds: 'Glad to be off, survived my nights tho' folowed by a smiley face emoji.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

12:28pm

She says she has no independent recollection of Child N or that night shift, other than that recorded in her notes.
At 10.55pm, she carried out a routine review, which included an examination of Child N.
12:24pm

Prosecutor Philip Astbury says Dr Jennifer Loughnane will next give evidence.
She confirms she is a consultant paediatrician at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and was employed as a registrar on the night shift of June 2/3, 2016.
12:18pm

Kate Tyndall, intelligence analyst for Cheshire Police, is now talking the court through the neonatal review schedule for the events in the case of Child N.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

12:32pm

Dr Loughnane has noted Child N's history up to that point in the first 12 hours of his life, and noting a concern of a growth restriction during pregnancy, and the weight of 1.67kg indicating Child N was "a small baby".
No risk factors for sepsis were detected.
Child N was 'screened [for infection] - due to grunting at four hours'. The grunting was, the court hears, due to Child N having extra fluid in the lungs.
Child N was 'self ventilating in air', 'respiratory rate 60', 'Sats 96% room air'

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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’ll do them one post at a time from now as copy and paste is back to front.

 

[Sweeper2000]

12:41pm

An antenatal plan had been put in place as Child N's mother was a haemophilia carrier.
At 1.10am, Dr Loughnane is informed about Child having a desaturation. She does not recall who did so.
The note at the time records: Child N 'got upset, looked mottled, dusky, sats 40%, O2 100%'.
'On my arrival, 40% O2, screaming, sternal recession, poor trace on Sats probe, pink'.
The desaturation was "significant", Dr Loughnane tells the court.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

12:43pm

Mr Astubry asks about the significance of the word 'screaming'.
Dr Loughnane says that 'screaming' is not a word she would tend to write very often in her neonatal notes. She says that would indicate Child N was particularly upset.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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

 

[Sweeper2000]

12:50pm

Dr Loughnane said attempts were made to settle the baby, but was crash bleeped away.
On her return, Child N's saturation levels recovered to 100%, and he was "asleep". The time of Dr Loughnane's return is not recorded.
The plan was to continue to observe Child N and carry out the blood gas reading at 2am, indicating the note was made sometime before 2am.
A blood gas reading is carried out at 2.04am, and Dr Loughnane says there is a raised lactate reading for Child N

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Thursday, March 2

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