Lucy Letby trial: Triplet boys' deaths were harrowing, says nurse

Murder-accused caregiver Lucy Letby has told her proceedings however she recovered the deaths of 2 triplet brothers connected successive days a "harrowing" experience.

The 33-year-old is accused of sidesplitting the boys aft returning to enactment astatine the Countess of Chester Hospital pursuing a travel to Ibiza successful June 2016.

She said: "It's devastating. You privation to prevention each babe successful your care. You're not expected to ticker a babe die."

Ms Letby denies murdering 7 babies and the attempted murders of 10 others.

Manchester Crown Court has antecedently heard that 1 of the boys, referred to arsenic Child O, was unchangeable up until 23 June, erstwhile helium suffered a "remarkable deterioration" and was moved to different nursery, wherever helium stabilised.

He aboriginal suffered a further fatal collapse.

A post-mortem introspection recovered unclotted humor successful his assemblage from a liver injury, which led a coroner to reason his decease was owed to earthy causes.

However, an autarkic pathologist, who aboriginal reviewed the case, said the lad had suffered an "impact injury" akin to a roadworthy postulation collision, portion aesculapian experts for the prosecution said helium died owed to a operation of that wounded and aerial being injected into his bloodstream.

Ms Letby was asked by her defence barrister Ben Myers KC if she had introduced aerial into Child O's strategy oregon caused him immoderate harm.

She replied: "No, never."

Mr Myers asked the caregiver what the ambiance was similar erstwhile a babe died connected the unit, she said: "It's wholly flat. There is simply a implicit alteration successful atmosphere.

"To maine personally, it's devastating. You privation to prevention each babe successful your care.

"You're not expected to ticker a babe die."

Mr Myers noted the accused had been connected vacation successful the week anterior to Child O's death. He asked her if she was readying "anything melodramatic and terrible" upon her return, to which she said "no".

Less than 24 hours aft Child O's death, his brother, Child P, died successful akin circumstances.

The assemblage has heard that astatine 09:50 BST connected 24 June 2016, Child P collapsed and required breathing support.

He collapsed respective much times that day, earlier being pronounced dormant astatine 16:00.

A aesculapian adept for the prosecution said the collapses were accordant with an "additional magnitude of aerial being fixed to this baby".

Asked for her recollections of 24 June, Ms Letby said determination was an "increasing consciousness of anxiousness connected the unit" arsenic Child P was not responding to treatment.

She said determination was a "huge consciousness of relief" erstwhile a specializer squad arrived from Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, to assistance with his treatment.

She added: "We were each precise anxious, peculiarly successful presumption of what had happened to [Child O] the time before.

"There didn't look to beryllium immoderate wide program from doctors, we precise overmuch wanted the transport squad to travel and connection their expertise."

The caregiver said the requirements of Child P were "beyond our level of care".

Despite the beingness of the specializer team, Child P collapsed and died.

Asked to springiness a consciousness of the temper successful the infirmary astatine that time, Ms Letby said: "Everybody was shocked, devastated.

"I was truly upset, to person that 2 days successful a row. To ideate what those parents had gone through, it was harrowing.

"You don't hide thing similar that."