Lucy Letby: Babies died within 72 hours of nurse's text, jury told

Two babies died and a 3rd collapsed wrong 72 hours of Lucy Letby telling a workfellow she would beryllium "back successful with a bang" aft her holiday, a tribunal heard.

The neonatal nurse, 33, is charged with murdering 7 babies and attempting to execution 10 others astatine Countess of Chester Hospital betwixt 2015 and 2016.

Manchester Crown Court heard Child O and P, 2 brothers successful a acceptable of triplets, died successful June 2016.

Ms Letby, from Hereford, denies each of the allegations against her.

Jurors were told the accused was connected vacation successful Ibiza with friends erstwhile the triplets were born.

In a substance connection to a chap caregiver up of her instrumentality to work, Ms Letby said she would "probably beryllium backmost successful with a bang", the tribunal heard.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said "within 72 hours of that text" Child O and P had some died and Child Q - who was unrelated to them - had collapsed.

Ms Letby accepted determination were nary wellness concerns astir the triplets, who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons, erstwhile they were born.

She agreed their commencement was "big news" connected the neonatal portion and that it was the archetypal clip she had ever travel crossed people conceived triplets successful her career.

Ms Letby denied attacking Child O connected her archetypal time backmost astatine enactment successful bid to summation the attraction of a doc who prosecutors person suggested she "had a crush on".

She has antecedently told jurors she was not successful emotion with the registrar - who cannot beryllium named for ineligible reasons - and they were conscionable friends.

Jurors were told Ms Letby texted him that morning: "Bit rubbish that you couldn't enactment connected nnu (neonatal unit).

"You whitethorn get clip for luncheon though if connected clinic."

Mr Johnson asked her: "Were you disappointed helium was not there?"

She said: "Yes, I enjoyed moving with [the doctor]."

Mr Johnson said: "Were you missing him?"

Ms Letby said: "No, this was my archetypal time backmost astatine work."

Mr Johnson said: "Did you privation to get his attention?"

Mr Johnson asked: "Is that the crushed you sabotaged [Child O]?"

"No," the suspect repeated.

Jurors were told that up to 90 minutes later, Ms Letby called for assistance from the registrar, who was moving successful a neighbouring nursery.

The authoritative asked her: "Were you trying to get his attention?"

Ms Letby said: "Yes, I wanted him to beryllium with (Child O)."

Mr Johnson said: "Personal attraction arsenic well?"

Letby said: "No, helium was the registrar connected the portion that day."

Ms Letby, who was Child O's designated nurse, called for the doctor's assistance astatine astir 13:15 BST aft the babe vomited pursuing a beverage provender 45 minutes earlier.

Medical entries showed the accused signed for the provender but, giving her 13th time of evidence, Ms Letby told the tribunal that the kid was really fed by a pupil caregiver she was mentoring.

Mr Johnson said: "You deliberately overfed [Child O], didn't you?"

Ms Letby replied: "No I didn't. I was not feeding this baby."

The tribunal was told Ms Letby had noted Child O's quality was "mottled" and his abdomen was "red and distended".

Mr Johnson reminded the caregiver the unit's caput advisor Dr Stephen Brearey had recalled an "unusual rash" connected the close broadside of Child O's thorax wall, which aboriginal disappeared.

The authoritative asked her: "Is that what you saw arsenic well?"

Mr Johnson told the tribunal that Child O's parent had noticed "changing" tegument discolouration and "prominent veins", portion Child O's begetter observed "something oozing done his veins".

He asked the accused: "Do you hold with the descriptions?"

Ms Letby replied: "I didn't spot thing similar that."

Mr Johnson said: "You saw a benignant of blotchy, purply/red rash?"

The suspect agreed a liver wounded sustained by Child O - discovered aft his decease - indispensable person been inflicted during the shift.

She told the court: "I don't cognize however that has happened."

Mr Johnson said: "You injected [Child O's] tummy with state down the [nasogastric tube], didn't you?"

The caregiver said: "No, I didn't."

Mr Johnson said: "You injected aerial into his circulation."

Mr Johnson said: "And done immoderate convulsive mechanism, you inflicted that liver wounded connected him."

Child O continued to diminution passim the day and died astatine 17:47.

Mr Johnson accused Ms Letby of past turning her attraction to Child O's brother, Child P, who was besides successful her care.

The authoritative said: "You had already enactment your program into question by pumping [Child P] earlier you left, hadn't you?"

Mr Johnson went on: "You overfed [Child P] immoderate clip betwixt 6pm and handing him implicit astatine 8pm, didn't you?"

The suspect is alleged to person murdered Child P the pursuing time with much injections of air.