UK nurse was 'calculating' killer of babies, court hears

In a court session on Friday (09), witness testimonies shed light on a nurse who is presently undergoing trial for the alleged murder of seven babies at a UK hospital. The testimonies depicted her as a "very calculating woman" who was deemed responsible for the tragic deaths of "many children".

Lucy Letby, aged 33, faces additional charges of allegedly attempting to cause harm to 10 other babies in the neo-natal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital located in northwest England where she was employed.

However, Letby firmly refuted the accusations of harming any children.

"You are a murderer... You have murdered many children," prosecutor Nick Johnson said in an exchange with Letby on the final day of her cross-examination at the Manchester Crown Court.

"I have never murdered a child or harmed any of them," she replied.

Letby stands accused of deliberately harming newborns through various methods between June 2015 and June 2016, which allegedly included administering injections of insulin, air, or milk.

After being removed from the neo-natal unit in July 2016, she continued her employment at the hospital, albeit in clerical roles, until her arrest two years later.

During the court proceedings, Letby expressed a sense of "isolation" following her transfer from the unit and claimed that she was only permitted to communicate with a limited number of colleagues.

Prosecutor Johnson said Friday that Letby's social diary at the time was "peppered with you out socialising with lots of different people on that unit".

Letby agreed with his assertion that she had a "very active social life".

"You are a calculating woman aren't you Miss Letby? You tell lies deliberately, don't you?" Johnson continued.

He said Letby lied "to get sympathy from people" and "to get attention from people".

Letby replied to his questions with a simple "no".

During her testimony in the witness box last month, Letby revealed her longstanding desire to work with children and expressed deep distress upon learning that she was being accused of causing the deaths of the babies.

The charges against Letby include seven counts of murder and 15 counts of attempted murder, as she is alleged to have made multiple attempts to harm certain children.

The trial, which has been ongoing since October, will continue next week.

(AFP)