THE mum of a baby Lucy Letby allegedly tried to kill today described the heartbreaking moment her daughter died in her husband’s arms.
Letby, 34, is accused of attempting to murder Baby K by dislodging her breathing tube while at Countess of Chester Hospital.
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She was transported to Arrowe Park Hospital and sadly died three days later – although prosecutors do not believe the nurse caused her death.
Manchester Crown Court heard Baby K was born “extremely premature” on February 17, 2016 – weighing just 1lb 80z.
Around two hours after she was born, Letby was “caught virtually red-handed” trying to kill the baby, jurors were told.
A senior consultant paediatrician allegedly saw the nurse standing over the cot “doing nothing” as Baby K’s blood oxygen levels dipped.
Letby later interfered with the baby’s breathing tube twice more on the same night in a bid to convince her colleagues the tot was dislodging it herself, jurors heard.
The child’s mum wept today as she told how she had the “strangest feeling” while in family accommodation at the Arrowe Park shortly before her daughter’s death.
She said she and her husband both went to see the baby girl and realised she was gravely ill.
The mum said: “The doctor confirmed the worst. I asked if it was just a waiting game now or if she was going to get better. We had a long conversation and she said what happens next was entirely our decision.
“I remember saying to the doctor that she had been poked and prodded from the moment she was born. Her tiny little delicate body had swollen up so much we didn’t want her to be suffering any more.
“We didn’t want to be informed that we’d lost our little girl by alarms on the machines going off. We didn’t want to prolong things any more.
“We made the decision together to switch off the machines and let her go. It was by far the hardest decision of my life.
“One of the staff showed us to a family room where it was peaceful and quiet. Our daughter was wrapped in a blanket and was wearing a little hat. Our daughter was in my husband’s arms when she took her last breath and silently passed away.”
Jurors were told Letby was convicted last year of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others between June 2015 and June 2016.
The nurse, of Hereford, denies one count of attempted murder.
The trial continues.
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