Murder-accused nurse Lucy Letby denies ‘getting thrill’ at seeing parents bathe dead baby

Nurse is accused of murdering seven babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit

Murder-accused nurse Lucy Letby has denied “getting a thrill” at watching a grieving couple bathe their dead daughter.

Letby, 33, is said to have murdered the baby girl, Child I, at the fourth attempt in October 2015.

She denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neonatal unit.

Following her death, Child I was bathed by her parents as part of the unit’s standard bereavement service.

Child I’s mother previously told jurors at Manchester Crown Court that Letby came in during the process and was “smiling”.

The mother added Letby “kept going on about how she was present at (Child I’s) first bath and how much (Child I) had loved it”.

On Friday, prosecutor Nick Johnson KC asked the defendant: “Why did you say that?”

Letby replied: “I was trying in this awful situation to have a little bit of normality and I was referring to a positive memory.

“It was not meant with any malice. It was just trying to reflect on a happier memory.”

Mr Johnson said: “How can you sit there and say (Child I) was enjoying her first bath, when she was dead?”

Letby said: “She had her first bath when she was alive, that was what I was referring to.

“I’m not saying she enjoyed the bath she passed away for. I was referring to the earlier bath.”

Mr Johnson said: “Were you getting a thrill out of what you were watching, the grief and despair you were watching in that room?”

Letby said: “Absolutely not.”

The defendant, from Hereford, denies all the alleged offences said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016.

The trial continues.