Katharina Buczek
Lucy’s parents, John and Susan Letby, arrived at Manchester Crown Court at about 5:30 a.m. this morning. And just a few minutes later, a prison van transporting Lucy also arrived.
Lucy donned a dark blue suit and black blouse while being arraigned on twenty-two charges; meanwhile, loved ones of Lucy’s alleged victims sat in the public gallery.
The nurse pled not guilty to each charge against her. Then, a jury was selected and sworn in– consisting of eight women and four men– before the trial kicked off.
Nick Johnson KC opened for the prosecution and began by describing Countess of Chester hospital as a care facility much like the thousands of others throughout the UK.
“But, unlike many other hospitals in the UK and unlike many other neonatal units in the UK, within the neonatal unit in the Countess of Chester, a poisoner was at work,” Johnson said.
The prosecutor then acknowledged the skyrocketing infant mortality rate at Countess of Chester during Lucy’s time at the hospital– a rate fraught with cases of unexpected and unexplainable death.
“Babies who had not been unstable at all suddenly severely deteriorated. Sometimes, babies who had been sick and then on the mend deteriorated for no apparent reason,” Johnson noted.
“The consultants found the inexplicable collapses and deaths did have one common denominator. The presence of one neonatal unit nurse. That nurse was Lucy Letby.”
Following Johnson’s chilling opening, the jury learned more about Lucy’s alleged crimes. Most of the incidents happened during the night shift when guardians and parents were less likely to be present at the hospital.
And Lucy’s time spent on the night shift corresponded with the rise in deaths; meanwhile, when Lucy was moved to the day shift, there was a rise then, too.
Additionally, the prosecution shockingly revealed that Lucy allegedly poisoned two infants– known as Child F and Child L– with insulin.
