Lucy Letby: Nurse searched for parents on Facebook, jury told

A nurse accused of murdering babies made Facebook searches for the parents of children not connected with her trial, a jury has heard.

Lucy Letby has been charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.

The trial heard Ms Letby searched for "many" parents on the social media website, as well as searching for the parents of an alleged victim in June 2015.

Ms Letby, 32, denies 22 charges.

Intelligence analyst Claire Hocknell, who was employed by Cheshire Police, told Ms Letby's defence team there were a "lot of searches for other people in the data".

The jury were then reminded it was up to them whether or not to draw inference from the facts put to them.

Jurors were also shown messages Ms Letby had exchanged with other staff members.

One was sent just weeks after the alleged murders of babies referred to in court as Child A, C and D and the attempted murder of Child B.

Ms Letby wrote: "Haha. Nodding off in cinema isn't a good look. I had a mini meltdown last night about what's happened at work. I just need some time off with mum and dad".

The jury were later read statements and heard live evidence from medical staff who cared for Child A and B.

Dr Sally Ogden, who was a registrar on duty on the day of Child A's death, said: "From memory I do not recall anything particular out of the ordinary [with Child A and B].

"There was no immediate concern. If there were any immediate medical concerns I would have expected them to be highlighted during the handover and ward round."

Dr Ogden noted her shock at discovering Child A's death the following day.

"This came as a surprise, it came completely out of the blue and was very upsetting," she said.

Nurse Melanie Taylor, who started her shift at 07:30 BST on the day Child A died, recalled his health that morning.

She said: "He was a premature baby, he was on respiratory support, which we would expect. In terms of how well he was coping, he was stable."

"I had no concerns," she added.

Ms Taylor, who handed over to Ms Letby that evening, recalled how Child A's health began to deteriorate at about 20:00.

Ms Taylor was adding notes to a computer on the intensive care unit when Child A began falling ill.

She said: "Lucy Letby was standing by the incubator. Initially I stayed there as he was fairly stable and Lucy Letby was there, but when I realised he was not recovering from deterioration I got up to help."

Ms Taylor said she thought Child A was going to recover "quite quickly" as such desaturations were not that uncommon.

She added: "I kept thinking he was going to recover, but he didn't."

Ms Taylor said she was not directly involved in the resuscitation of Child A.

Ms Letby, originally from Hereford, denies all the offences which are said to have been committed between June 2015 and June 2016.

The trial continues.

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