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

[Blondiexoxo]

I find this interesting that LL said today about the events surrounding baby G…

‘Letby says for this incident, she remembers being 'conscious there were other parents' in the room’.

If guilty, perhaps a Freudian slip? Conscious other parents were in the room, so knew that she had to remain the kind, gentle, caring nurse IMO….

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue

Mr Myers takes Ms Letby back over what happened at around 19:30 on 30 September. Ms Letby said during handover with another nurse Child I became apnoeic and needed a neopuff. Which she and another nurse did. Afterwards Child I 'recovered well'

Mr Myers asks Ms Letby about the state of the neonatal unit at this time. She says it was 'very busy' and that was starting 'to have an effect on everybody'. Asked if it complied with the BAPEN guidelines, she said 'not at all times no'

We're now moving to the second alleged incident on 12 October

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[Tortoise]

3:24pm

The trial is resuming after a short break.
Mr Myers refers to the next events for Child I.
Nursing notes by Ashleigh Hudson on October 13 are shown to the court.
The notes include: '...'pale, pink in colour but well perfused.
0322- when in the nursery, neonatal nurse Lucy Letby noticed that [Child I] looked quite pale., when turning the light on for closer examination, we found [Child I] to be very pale in colour and not moving. Apnoea alarm in situ, had not sounded, breathing was shallow and rr appeared low....monitoring commenced....30% neopuff O2 commenced...chest compressions commenced at 0325, no heart rate heard...'
Lucy Letby's note, 'written for care given from 0345' - '[Child I] noted to be pale in cot by myself at 0320, S/N Hudson present. Apnoea alarm in situ and had not sounded...full resuscitation commenced as documented in medical notes'.
A nursing shift rota is shown for October 12-13, with Lucy Letby in room 1, designated nurse for one baby. Ashleigh Hudson was designated nurse for three babies in room 2, including Child G and Child I.
Letby says she cannot recall looking after Child I prior to 3.20am. She recalls going with Ashleigh Hudson the room 2 together, and noticing Child I looked pale.
"Ashleigh was doing something on the worktop...with her back to the cot. I was in the doorway, talking to Ashleigh."
Mr Myers: "What was the illumination level like?"
Letby: "I can see clearly enough that [Child I] was pale in the cot. [Child I] was in front of a window. At no point is any nursery in complete darkness.
"The only time we have that is in room 4, for babies preparing to go home.
"It's important we need to see them visually.
"We need to see the monitors and the babies themselves."
Letby adds the colour level of a baby "is one of the most important things we assess".
"I could see her face and her hands...she just looked very pale.
"I said to Ashleigh she looked very pale and we turned the lights up". Letby says she cannot recall if the light had been on a dimmer switch, but the lighting was turned up.
Child I was "very unwell" so care was given.
The apnoea alarm had not gone off as, Letby says, Child I was 'gasping' and occasionally taking in air.
Letby says she and Ashleigh Hudson called for help.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[ColourPurple]

I find this interesting that LL said today about the events surrounding baby G…

‘Letby says for this incident, she remembers being 'conscious there were other parents' in the room’.

If guilty, perhaps a Freudian slip? Conscious other parents were in the room, so knew that she had to remain the kind, gentle, caring nurse IMO….

I think she may have meant that's why she put a screen around Baby G. To avoid distressing other parents as well as for privacy. I remember the "I got her screened" comment (which I'd originally assumed meant blood screens but actually meant the screen was put around). I wonder if Myers has mentioned the significance of BabY G's collapse dates (one was on her 100 day birthday, another was on her due date)


Following completion of her shift Letby messaged a colleague in the evening to say: “(Child G) poorly again.

“Due date today!”

Her colleague, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, responded: “Oh she likes to ‘celebrate’ the big ones in style (sadface).”

Letby replied: Due imms (immunisations) today too. I got her screened this morning after she vomited.”

Her colleague said: “Was she still in (nursery) 4 then?”

Letby said: “Yup and had NN (nursery nurse) all weekend … looked rubbish when I took over this morning, then she vomited at 9 and I got her screened.”

Mother ‘told Lucy Letby she was pleased she was caring for baby girl’

A MOTHER told Lucy Letby she was “so pleased” she was caring for her baby girl on a shift when the nurse allegedly tried twice to kill her, a…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue

Nurse Ashleigh Hudson has previously told jurors she was Child I’s carer on the night-shift that night but she said she asked Ms Letby or the nursing shift leader to keep an eye on the youngster as she was required to help a colleague with a routine procedure elsewhere

She said that procedure took about 15 minutes and she then walked to a store room to collect Child I’s milk. On her return to nursery room 2 she started preparing the milk for a feed on a counter which faced the lit corridor, she said.

She previously told the court: “I can remember at one point in time Lucy was standing in the doorway. She was leaning up against the frame. She pointed out from where she was that she thought (Child I) looked pale.”

Nurse Hudson said the lights in the nursery were switched off, rather than dimmed, at the time

She explained the lights are 'on for safety', 'it's important that we’re able to see them visually…we need to be able to see the monitors' she said

She said herself and nurse Hudson went over to Child I who was 'gasping' for air and looked 'very' unwell. The pair began neopuffing the infant

Mr Myers is putting to Ms Letby what was said in police interviews in relation to Child I.

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[Tortoise]

3:32pm

Letby says she cannot recall, definitively, whether she had turned up the lights before or after seeing Child I. The court hears a police interview with Letby had said she had told them the lights were turned on before.
A subsequent police interview had Letby saying she did not know whether it was before or after seeing Child I that the lights were turned up.
"I know what I saw," Letby tells the court.

3:34pm

The court hears further from the police interview. The officer asks if Letby remembered, exactly, the sequence of events. Letby said she did not. "I thought we put the lights on when we went in the room."
Letby added, in interview: "Maybe I spotted something Ashleigh wasn't able to spot."
Letby tells the court Child I was "in my direct eyeline" when she was at the doorway.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue
·
Mr Myers has pulled up an image, taken by Cheshire Police, of the nursery where Child I was staying - the light is dimmed on the image. Mr Myers asks if it was as dark as this on that shift, she said 'no'

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[Tortoise]

3:39pm

The court is shown photographs of the lighting level in room 2. The photos were taken in August 2020 and form part of the agreed facts.
"Do you recall the room being as dark as this appears to be?"
"No."
"Would you ever have a high dependency unit...as dark as this."
"No."
"Why not?"
Letby tells the court it would not be safe.
Mr Myers asks if it was necessary to turn the lights up afterwards. Letby says it was, as it was necessary for the care of Child I, such as use of syringes.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

(this isn't the image I remember from before, I wonder if CS has the correct image?)

 

[Sundial]

2:52pm

Letby says she was looking after Child I and two other babies in room 3 on her long day shift of September 30. She says she has "some memory" of that day, "but not great detail".
She denies doing anything to cause either of Child I's events that day.
She says at 7.30pm, during the handover, she was giving the handover when Child I became apnoeic. Neopuffing was given, and it was noticed the abdomen was distended.
An NG Tube was inserted and air was aspirated.
Letby reads her notes from that day, including a note that Child I's mum noted the abdomen seemed more distended than yesterday, and Child I had an ongoing low temperature. For the abdomen, it was 'soft to touch', and the bowels had been opened.
The 1500 Drs review noted Child I's abdomen was distended, and she appeared 'mottled in colour'. Letby said she asked for the review upon seeing Child I's mottled appearance.
At 1600 Child I was fed, and at 1630 Child I had a large vomit and desaturation, and Drs were crash called, and Child I was transferred to room 1.
Letby said for the 4.30pm event, she was not at Child I's cotside, but was in the room.
She says: "She had vomited and I went over to her, and needed Neopuffing, briefly."
Child I was placed on an incubator, a cannula was inserted but tissued. 'Colour appears pale but improved'. There had been no further vomits, the abdomen still appeared distended.
Child I had 'self correcting desaturations to 80s', which Letby says was not a case when the alarm would be needed. "You have to give the baby time - to see if they self correct, which most babies do...in 30 seconds to a minute."
In this case, Letby says, Child I was self-recovering without the need for help.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

Well for someone claiming to have “some memory” but “not great detail” her description of events is more detailed than what I can remember what I ate for dinner last week.
JMO

 

[DianaWW]

3:39pm

The court is shown photographs of the lighting level in room 2. The photos were taken in August 2020 and form part of the agreed facts.
"Do you recall the room being as dark as this appears to be?"
"No."
"Would you ever have a high dependency unit...as dark as this."
"No."
"Why not?"
Letby tells the court it would not be safe.
Mr Myers asks if it was necessary to turn the lights up afterwards. Letby says it was, as it was necessary for the care of Child I, such as use of syringes.

View attachment 422499

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

(this isn't the image I remember from before, I wonder if CS has the correct image?)

The one on Twitter is very different. I recall reading that her and the nurse she was with were shown a few options with varying levels of darkness, but I'm not sure which picture was actually chosen by her colleague

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[Tortoise]

The one on Twitter is very different

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I think Chester has the wrong image saved. there wouldn't be a dispute over the level of darkness in the CS image I don't think.

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue
·
We're now moving to the fourth event in relation to Child I on the 14 October. First is at 05:00 that day and at 07:00

Asked if she did anything to cause Child I's collapses on that morning, Ms Letby said 'no'

 

[DinerMite]

I thought I had a good grasp on the events/timeline until LL took stand and now I'm all over the shop, can't understand heads nor tails anymore.

 

[Tortoise]

3:50pm

Mr Myers now moves on to the event for Child I for October 13-14.
Lucy Letby was a designated nurse for Child I in room 1, with Joanne Williams designated nurse for two other babies in room 1.
Mr Myers: "Was there anything you did to make [Child I] feel unwell...on any shift?"
Letby: "No."
Letby's notes from the shift at the beginning: '...aspirate obtained. Abdomen appears full but soft. Some bruising/discolouration evident on sternum and right side of chest, ?from chest compressions. [Child I] pale in colour...'
Letby says the bruising appeared to have come from CPR the previous morning.
Further notes: '...[Child I] tolerating handling better, tone appears improved, remains pale. Abdomen distended but soft...
'At 0500 abdomen noted to be more distended and firmer in appearance with area of discolouration spreading on right-hand side, veins more prominent. Oxygen requirement began to increase, colour became pale...gradually requiring 100% oxygen...blood gases poor as charted...chest movement reduced...continued to decline. Reintubated at approx 0700 - initially responded well. Abdomen firm and [dis]tended. Overall colour pale...'
Letby says she cannot recall this sequence of events from the morning.
Shelley Tomlins: '0730-present. Care of [Child I] taken over...arrived on NNU minutes before arrest. [Child I] had just been retubed when desat/brady occurred and full resuscitation was required to bring her back...[Child I] stable on ventilator...abdomen very large, pale and veiny...area of discolouration noted on right side of abdomen.'
Letby recalls there was discolouration, but not specific details. She says she was not involved in the continued care of Child I, and denies having caused anything which allowed this to happen.

3:55pm

Mr Myers moves to the event of Child I on October 22-23.
Lucy Letby is a designated nurse for a baby in nursery room 2 and one in room 3. Ashleigh Hudson is the designated nurse for Child I in room 1 and one other baby.
Letby says she does not have much independent recollection from the night. She says her memory begins from when Child I was being resuscitated.
She was alerted to Child I being 'unsettled' at some point, but cannot recall during the night when that was.
Child I was 'rooting and appeared hungry', was 'crying and appeared very hungry' - 'sucking on fingers and lipsmacking'. Child I had been 'nil by mouth for a period of time' - Letby cannot recall how long for.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Tortoise]

I find this interesting that LL said today about the events surrounding baby G…

‘Letby says for this incident, she remembers being 'conscious there were other parents' in the room’.

If guilty, perhaps a Freudian slip? Conscious other parents were in the room, so knew that she had to remain the kind, gentle, caring nurse IMO….

I'll tell you what it suggests to me, I think when adrenaline is heightened I would expect sometimes that memories could be sharper. I remember when she recalled Dr J entering the room for one of the collapses, might have been baby A, thinking how strange that she had a picture of that in her mind. Whenever I've experienced certain shocking events, like finding out Princess Diana died, I can remember exactly where I was and have a mental snapshot of my surroundings. I wouldn't be surprised if she was having a hormonal response at the time before discovering baby G behind the screen. JMO

 

[Tortoise]

4:01pm

Ashleigh Hudson's notes for that night: '...[Child I] was unsettled and rooting at start of shift, settled with dummy and containment holding. Longline removed due to constant occlusions. Neonatal Lucy Letby unable to flush...
'2357: [Child I] was very unsettled, ?due to hunger as was rooting...'
Child I did not improve with increased Neopuff oxygen requirements and saturation and heart rate dropped. A crash call was put out by midnight, and Child I was intubated.
Child I was later extubated as she was 'working against the ventilator'.

4:08pm

The neonatal schedule chart is shown to the court for October 22, which Mr Myers says does not record Lucy Letby having any involvement with Child I.
Letby says she recalls seeing Child I and seeing she was "upset", but was not sure at which time that was.
Letby says she cannot recall where she was prior to the 01.06am event when Child I became unsettled again.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk

 

[Diddly1]

Marantz call Dr Choc perhaps, but I agree she has to defend herself, her answers just seem so far fetched from everyone else that has given evidence MOO

 

[ColourPurple]

Dan O'Donoghue
@MrDanDonoghue
·
We're on Child I's final and fatal collapse on 22/23 October now - just before midnight Child I became unsettled. Nurse Hudson and Ms Letby attended and she required cardiac compressions

Mr Myers is pausing there for today, he will continue to take Ms Letby back over the case of Child I tomorrow morning.

twitter.com/MrDanDonoghue

 

[ColourPurple]

Lucy Letby trial: Staffing levels were unsafe, nurse tells jury

Lucy Letby, who is accused of murdering babies at a hospital, says the unit was at "overcapacity".

www.bbc.co.uk

Dan's wrap up of today

 

[Tortoise]

5:20pm

That concludes today's evidence.
Here is a round-up story from today: Lucy Letby 'very concerned' for baby 'left alone on trolley'
The Standard will be back on Tuesday, May 16, with further updates as Lucy Letby continues to give evidence.

Recap: Lucy Letby trial, Monday, May 15 - 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, is…

www.chesterstandard.co.uk