Katharina Buczek
But then, following this second incident, Lucy was made Child I’s designated nurse since she had special training. This was a precursor to incidents three and four.
The next night, Lucy took responsibility for Child I’s care– her only duty that evening. And again, Child I suffered from increasing abdominal swelling and discoloration.
Another x-ray revealed severe gaseous distention that was enough to split Child I’s diaphragm and stop the baby girl from breathing. She again required CPR.
“Child I was brought back from the brink of death right at the end of the shift, at 7:48 a.m.,” Johnson told the court.
And after the third incident, the baby girl was removed from Countess of Chester Hospital. At that time, she reportedly made a “speedy recovery” before returning to Chester on October 17, 2015. Back again, Child I allegedly thrived for five days.
“A period that coincided with the absence of work from Lucy Letby,” Johnson noted.
But, during the evening shift of October 22, Child I would eventually die.
That night, Lucy was not the baby girl’s designated nurse. In fact, according to Lucy’s notes, she actually had a relatively slow night of patient care.
Then, just before midnight, Child I collapsed a fourth time. Another x-ray revealed a “large stomach bubble” had been present in her bowel.
So, the medical staff resuscitated Child I and brought her back to a stable condition. Afterward, the baby girl reportedly showed signs of wanting to be fed– at which point Child I’s designated nurse took the baby girl off the ventilator and left the room.
“You know what I am going to say next, don’t you?” Johnson rhetorically asked the jury.
