Lucy Letby trial: Nurse had favourite way of killing, jury told

One of caregiver Lucy Letby's "favourite ways of sidesplitting and trying to termination children" connected a infirmary neonatal portion was by injecting air, a authoritative has told her trial.

Ms Letby is alleged to person murdered 7 babies and attempted to execution 10 others betwixt June 2015 and June 2016.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson KC said experts for the prosecution had told Manchester Crown Court astatine slightest 12 of those received an aerial injection.

Ms Letby, 33, has denied each charges.

On the 3rd time of his closing speech, Mr Johnson told jurors not to disregard the "constellation of coincidences" successful babe deaths astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital.

He said they should "put each the pieces of the jigsaw together" and suggested the "cumulative picture" told lone 1 story, that Ms Letby "tried to execution oregon murdered these children".

Mr Johnson cited the lawsuit of Child C, who stopped breathing without informing connected 13 June 2015 portion being treated successful the unit's nursery one.

He said the illness and decease was "inconsistent" with each earthy causes, arsenic asserted by the aesculapian experts successful the case.

The authoritative noted the caregiver was seen successful nursery 1 astatine the clip of Child C's collapse, contempt being allocated a babe successful nursery three.

He said she was determination "with decease connected her mind".

Mr Johnson went connected to punctual the assemblage of Sophie Ellis' evidence, who was Child C's designated caregiver that day.

Ms Ellis told the assemblage however she had concisely near Child C and erstwhile she returned to the nursery, Ms Letby was lasting implicit him.

She said the caregiver told her: "He's conscionable had a brady/desat".

Mr Johnson besides said caregiver Melanie Taylor had recalled being amazed astatine however "cool and calm" Ms Letby appeared arsenic medics rushed to assistance the baby.

He alleged that swelling noted by a doc successful Child C's vocal chords indicated that "something had been enactment down his throat".

This was besides a diagnostic successful the cases of Child E, Child G, Child H and Child N, helium said.

Mr Johnson went connected to authorities that different hint the jurors should see successful Child C's lawsuit was the "massive ballooning" to his stomach.

"It's arsenic plain arsenic the chemoreceptor connected your look that Lucy Letby indispensable person injected aerial down the nasogastric tube," helium said.

"It was, aft all, 1 of her favourite ways of sidesplitting oregon trying to termination children successful this case.

"There are a constellation of coincidences which tin marque you definite that [Child C] didn't dice of earthy causes and that Lucy Letby killed him."

Mr Johnson besides noted however Ms Letby's defence counsel, Ben Myers KC, had repeatedly questioned witnesses astir the competence of Ms Ellis, who Ms Letby had called the "new girl" successful messages to colleagues.

The authoritative said it was insinuated Ms Ellis was not qualified to beryllium looking aft Child C.

"It's trying to make successful the content successful your minds that thing was earnestly incorrect with the hospital," helium said, adding: "It's gaslighting you, doing to you what Lucy Letby did to her colleagues."

Mr Johnson aboriginal turned to the grounds heard astir Child G, who was transferred to the Countess of Chester Hospital from Wirral's Arrowe Park Hospital successful mid-August 2015.

The tribunal has heard she was "clinically stable" until 7 September, erstwhile she projectile vomited astatine astir 02:00 BST.

The prosecution lawsuit has been that Ms Letby overfed Child G with beverage done a nasogastric conduit oregon injected aerial into the aforesaid conduit and made 2 much attempts to termination her connected 21 September.

Mr Johnson pointed the assemblage to what Dr Alison Ventress said astir Child G.

The medic told the assemblage she saw blood-stained secretions coming from the vocal cords successful the aboriginal hours of 7 September 2015.

"What caused the pharynx of an different good babe to bleed?" Mr Johnson asked.

"It is simply a signature of galore of her attacks connected these babies."