WESTBOURNE, CHESTER: The trial of Lucy Letby, a British neonatal nurse accused of killing seven newborn babies and attempting to harm 10 others, is coming to a close, yet the troubling allegations against her persist. Lucy Letby, 33, was first arrested in July 2018 on suspicion of attacking infants after consultants raised concerns about her being the "common link" to numerous collapses of patients under her care.
In his closing arguments this week, prosecutor Nick Johnson alleged that Letby, 33, employed lethal air injection as one of her favored methods in targeting at least 12 of the alleged victims. Nick Johnson stated air injection was "one of her favorite ways of killing or trying to kill children in this case."
'Death on her mind!'
Despite the allegations, Letby maintains her innocence and recently asserted that poor hospital conditions were responsible for the deaths of newborn babies. During her court appearance in May, she claimed, "We used to have raw sewage coming out of the sinks [and] coming out on the floor in nursery one," reported BBC.
Nick Johnson, in his closing statement, urged the jury to consider the "constellation of coincidences" surrounding the baby deaths that occurred at the Countess of Chester Hospital in June 2015 and June 2016. He implored them to “put all the pieces of the jigsaw together” and see the “cumulative picture.” Nick Johnson claimed to the jurors that Lucy Letby had "death on her mind."
'Lucy Letby must have injected air down the nasogastric tube!'
Furthermore, the prosecutor also referred to testimonies from nurses who had worked alongside Lucy Letby. Sophie Ellis, the designated nurse for 'Child C' who prosecutors allege was murdered by Lucy Letby, testified that she witnessed the 33-year-old standing over the newborn and explaining that the baby "just had a brady/desat," referring to a drop in heart rate and oxygen saturation.
Nick Johnson also cited the testimony of nurse Melanie Taylor, who expressed shock at Lucy Letby's alleged "cool and calm" demeanor while medical staff rushed to aid Child C. Detailing the condition of Child C, Nick Johnson asserted, "It's as plain as the nose on your face that Lucy Letby must have injected air down the nasogastric tube." As the trial nears its end, Letby continues to deny allegations of killing seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others.
