Babies would have gone home if not for Lucy Letby, court told

Seven babies "would have all gone home" if nurse Lucy Letby had not "sabotaged them" on a hospital neonatal unit, her murder trial has heard.

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

Ms Letby is charged with murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.

The 33-year-old denies all charges.

Mr Johnson, on the final day of his closing speech, summed up the evidence in relation to Child I, who Ms Letby is said to have attempted to kill three times before succeeding on a fourth attempt on 23 October 2015.

He told the jury Ms Letby, originally of Hereford, was "excited" after she allegedly killed the premature baby girl and "revelled" in the pain she had inflicted on her grieving mother and father.

The prosecutor reminded the jury of Dr Lucy Beebe's evidence, who examined Child I at 11:40 GMT on 30 September and found her "taking full bottles, gaining weight and handling well".

Despite this, Ms Letby advised Child I's mother there was "concern about [Child I's] abdomen".

"What was going on here?" Mr Johnson asked.

"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?

"We're back to gaslighting... she was suggesting a problem where a problem didn't exist".

Mr Johnson then accused the defendant of falsifying nursing records in a bid to cover her first attack on Child I on the afternoon of 30 September.

He said the nurse falsely recorded an examination of Child I by "doctors" at 15:00, in which she wrote Child I "appeared mottled in colour with distended abdomen and more prominent veins".

Mr Johnson said there was no corresponding doctor's note for this examination of "mottling".

"We allege this note is a complete fabrication," he said.

"It's a very calculated way of using the records to give the appearance that a child who had no problem at all had a problem," he said.

Mr Johnson accused Ms Letby of timing her attack on Child I to coincide with when her mother had left her cot-side to pick up her other children from school.

"This is a child suffering a life-threatening collapse just after a parent has left… what are the chances of this happening and in the context of the notes you can be certain to have been manipulated by Lucy Letby," he said.

Mr Johnson turned to the second alleged attack on Child I, on 13 October 2015 at 03:20.

The court has previously heard nurse Ashleigh Hudson, Child I's designated nurse, had asked Ms Letby or the nursing shift leader to keep an eye on the infant as she was required to help a colleague with a routine procedure elsewhere.

When she returned, she said the accused was "standing in the doorway" and pointed out that Child I was "pale" and needed attention.

Ms Hudson said in evidence the room was dark and the baby girl could not be seen from where Ms Letby was stood.

Mr Johnson reminded the jury of what Ms Letby said in cross-examination when pressed about how she could see Child I was pale.

"I had more experience so I knew what I was looking for," Ms Letby said.

The trial continues.

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