Fellow nurse told Lucy Letby she found hospital baby deaths strange, murder jury hears

A colleague of Lucy Letby told her there was something ‘odd’ about the number of baby deaths on their hospital ward the same week that Letby is alleged to have murdered one of the babies she came into contact with.

Letby told a fellow nurse over message that it was ‘all a bit much’ after allegedly murdering a second baby before searching for his parents on Facebook, a court heard today. 

The 32-year-old is accused of killing the premature baby, known as Baby C, days after killing Baby A and attempting to murder his twin sister, Baby B, in June 2015.

After the deaths a colleague messaged her saying it was ‘odd’ that three babies had died suddenly, Manchester Crown Court heard today. 

Her colleague said: ‘There’s something odd about that night and the other three that went so suddenly.’ 

Baby C, who weighed 800 grams (1lb 12oz), collapsed while Letby was on a night shift and died just before 6am on June 14, the court heard. 

Lucy Letby, 32, is accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 more. She denies all charges

Today, the jury was shown messages Letby sent to friends after finishing her shift that morning.

In a message to colleague Jennifer Jones-Key she said: ‘Sorry if I was off, just wasn’t a great start to the shift but sadly it got worse.’

She went on to say: ‘I was struggling to accept what happened to (Baby A). Now we’ve lost (Baby C) overnight and it’s all a bit much.’

She described the death as ‘so sad and cruel’ and told Ms Jones-Key: ‘I just keep seeing them both. No-one should have to see and do the things we do. It’s heart-breaking.’ 

She added: ‘It’s not about me or anyone else, it’s those poor parents who have to walk away without their baby. It’s so unbelievably sad.’ 

Later the same evening a colleague responds to Letby telling her of Baby C’s death by saying: ‘Damn. Infection? Crap week. How’s (Baby) B’.

Letby said she didn’t know how he died, and added: ‘Doing well on Optiflow. Then collapsed. All happened very quickly. Sophie had him and is devastated’.

The other nurse asked: ‘As quickly as A? Yeah, s*** week’. 

John and Susan Letby, parents of Lucy Letby, arriving at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, October 21, for their daughter’s murder trial

Baby C, who weighed 800 grams (1lb 12oz), collapsed while Letby was on a night shift and died just before 6am on June 14, the court heard

Letby also messaged her mother, Susan, that morning and said: ‘We lost a little one overnight. Very unexpected and sad.’

Her mother replied: ‘Ah, sorry to hear that xxx’

The neonatal nurse went on to tell her: ‘He was 800g. Sophie the new girl was looking after him. She was devastated’.

A few minutes later her mother responded, saying: ‘Ah, so sad. Try to have a peeps. We are so proud of you xxx’  

Letby later messaged Ms Ellis and told her: ‘We are a good team and we’ll get through. You did so, so well.’

She messaged another colleague to tell her about the death of Baby C and said: ‘All happened very quickly.’

She went on to say: ‘There are no words, it’s been awful.’

Just before 4pm on the day of Baby C’s death, Letby searched his parents’ names on Facebook, the court heard.

Letby, 32, of Hereford, is on trial for the alleged murders of seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Cheshire, and the attempted murder of 10 more between 2015 and 2016. She denies all charges

The jury was told that later that month another baby, Baby D, died on the unit.

On June 30, Letby and a colleague exchanged messages about the condition of Baby B.

Her colleague said: ‘There’s something odd about that night and the other three that went so suddenly.’

Letby replied: ‘What do you mean?’

She added: ‘Well (Baby C) was tiny obviously compromised in utero, (Baby D) septic. It’s (Baby A) I can’t get my head around.’

Letby, originally from Hereford, denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016.

A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of surviving and dead children allegedly attacked by Letby, and also prohibits identifying parents or witnesses connected with the children.

The trial continues.