Lucy Letby: death of newborn ‘could have happened to any baby’
Posted 15 November 2022 - 16:10
Manchester Crown Court hears of neonatal nurse’s WhatsApp conversation with a colleague on 4 August 2015, 16 hours after Child E was pronounced dead
Nurse Lucy Letby told a colleague the death of a newborn on her night shift ‘could have happened to any baby’, her murder trial hears.
Colleague commented on WhatsApp that nurse seemed to be having ‘such very bad luck’, court hears
Ms Letby was in WhatsApp conversation with a fellow neonatal nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital on the evening of 4 August 2015, 16 hours after Child E was pronounced dead.
Her colleague Jennifer Jones-Key commented that the defendant seemed to be having ‘such very bad luck.’
On Monday, the court heard how Ms Jones-Key opened the text conversation by saying : ‘Hey, how are you?’
Ms Letby replied: ‘Not so good. We lost (Child E) overnight.’
Ms Jones-Key said: ‘That’s sad. We are on a terrible run at the moment. Were you in 1?’
Ms Letby said: ‘I had him and (Child F, twin brother of Child E).
‘It’s a luck of the drawer (sic) isn’t it unfortunately. Only three trained so I ended up having both whereas just (Child F) the other shift x.’
Ms Jones-Key replied: ‘You seem to have been having such very bad luck though.’
Ms Letby said: ‘Not a lot I can do really. He had a massive haemorrhage. Could have happened to any baby.’
The defendant engaged in another WhatsApp message exchange with another nursing colleague – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – on 9 August.
Ms Letby told the nurse: ‘I said goodbye to (Child E’s parents) as (Child F) might go tomorrow.
‘I just feel sad that they are thanking me when they have lost him’, court told of WhatsApp exchange
‘They both cried and hugged me saying they will never be able to thank me for the love and care I gave to (Child E) and for the precious memories I have given them. It’s heart breaking.’
Her colleague replied: ‘You should feel very proud of yourself, especially as you have done so well in such tough and heart breaking circumstances.’
Ms Letby said: ‘I just feel sad that they are thanking me when they have lost him and for something that any of us would have done. But it’s really nice to know that I got it right for them. That’s all I want.’
Jurors at Manchester Crown Court were read another message exchange from 12 November 2015 when a nurse informed Ms Letby that Child E and F’s parents had brought a ‘huge hamper’ into the unit with a card.
She replied: ‘Oh gosh, did they? Aw, wish I could have seen them. That will stay with me forever. Lovely family xx.’
Ms Letby is accused of murdering Child E and later attempting to murder Child F.
The defendant, originally from Hereford, denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of ten others between June 2015 and June 2016.
The trial continues.
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