Lucy Letby has denied 'hiding behind' her claim that she does not remember events in a hospital nursery where she is accused of attempting to murder a severely premature baby.
The former neonatal nurse was last year convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six others whilst working at the Countess of Chester hospital in Cheshire.
This morning (Tuesday, June 25), she entered the witness box for a second day as she gave evidence at a retrial at Manchester Crown Court where she denies the attempted murder of an infant, known as Child K, when she was just two hours old.
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The baby is alleged to have had her endotracheal breathing tube dislodged on three occasions in the early hours of February 17, 2016. the first time at around 3.45am.
The prosecution claims she was caught "virtually red-handed" by consultant pediatrician Dr Ravi Jayaram, who has said he walked in on Letby “doing nothing” while the tot's blood oxygen levels collapsed suddenly.
Beginning her evidence on Monday, Letby said she had no recollection of Dr Jayaram coming into the nursery when she was there, but said she did not dislodge the tube or do anything to interfere with, or harm Child K, or any other infants in her care, saying she was "not guilty of what I was found guilty."
Closing the case for the defence on Tuesday morning, Ben Myers KC said Letby had been "criticised" by the prosecution for saying she did not remember what happened, but that her evidence was "If I remembered, I would say."
He said Ms Letby had given accounts of where she was in other cases, including in those where she she had been convicted. "Are you hiding behind saying 'I don't remember'?" Mr Myers asked her. "No" she replied. Asked why she was saying that, she said: "Because that's the truth, I don't have any recollection."
Earlier, Nick Johnson KC continued his cross-examination of Ms Letby. A clip of her second police interview was played in which Mr Johnson said Letby was "accepting" she was there when the pediatrician entered the nursery.
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"No, I was looking at possible options and assuming that Mr Jayaram had been right," she said. Asked what she meant by that, she said: "I do not remember that event, I was relying on what Mr Jayaram was saying, and trying to fill in the gaps."
Mr Johnson said: "Fill in the gaps about a child whose family name, 10 weeks before your first interview you had been searching on Facebook? A child I would suggest you remember very well" "I disagree" Ms Letby replied.
Letby said she "stands by" her claim that it was common practice to see if a baby would self-correct when a desaturation began. Ms Letby insisted that "you didn't automatically put hands in the incubator and start doing something as they often self-correct."
"For a 25-week gestation baby? You are lying, aren't you?" Mr Johnson said. "No" she replied. "You are lying because you were caught cold by Dr Jayaram."
"No" she replied. "We're going round in circles. I don't remember the event, but I know I didn't do anything to interfere with (Child K)." "You intended to kill her didn't you?", Mr Johnson asked her. "No I did not" she replied.
Mr Johnson said: "Thereafter you tried to create the impression that (Child K) was habitually desaturating and dislodghing her own tube, didn’t you?" something Letby denied.
She accepted Child K was sedated after 4am with morphine. She said: "She would have been relaxed, but she could have moved if she wanted to."
A portable X-ray machine was brought into the neo-natal unit shortly before 6.10am to record a scan for Child K, the court heard, which showed the breathing tube in the correct position, the court heard.
Up to 15 minutes later Child K desaturated again as the Crown suggested Letby went into nursery one to return some notes to the infant's cotside.
Mr Johnson said: "Those two events are connected, aren't they? "No," said Letby. Mr Johnson said: "Just as later on (Child K) collapsed for a third time when you were there, didn’t she?" Letby said: "According to the staff accounts, yes. I don’t have any recollection of it myself."
Letby was said to have shouted for help and was seen to use a breathing device on Child K when her fellow nurses came into nursery one at the hospital at about 7.30am. Mr Johnson asked: "Do you accept what they say?" Letby said: "I think that sounds like actions I would be taking if it was happening."
Mr Johnson went on: "So you do accept it?" Letby replied: "I don't think I can comment on whether someone is telling the truth or not. I only know what I know."
The prosecutor pointed out that Letby's two designated babies on the shift were in nursery two ahead of the morning handover to the day shift. He asked her: "Why were you in nursery one?"
Letby replied: "I can't tell you that but Joanne (Child K's designated nurse) was not in the room at that time. Somebody would have to be in the room."
She denied "taking the opportunity" to "destabilise" Child K for a third time. The breathing tube was found to have moved a fifth of the way in from where a doctor had placed it, jurors heard. "Relatively speaking, a long way?" Mr Johnson asked her. "Yes," said Letby. Mr Johnson said: "That's because you pushed it in, didn't you?" "No", Letby replied.
He asked Letby: "Why didn't you record this event?" Letby said: "I can't answer that." Mr Johnson said: "I will offer an answer for you, because you didn't want there to be a written record of your involvement in this third extubation of this extremely premature child."
Letby replied: "I disagree. If I had been involved any of the nurses would have written I had been involved." Child K died three days later at Arrowe Park Hospital, where she had been transferred following her collapse. The prosecution don't allege Letby caused the baby girl's death.
A court order prohibits reporting of the identities of the surviving and dead children involved in the case. Letby, of Hereford, has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder. The trial, which will resume next Monday, continues
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