Lucy Letby: Nurse sent card to grieving parents, jury told

Nurse Lucy Letby sent a sympathy card to the grieving parents of a baby girl just weeks after she allegedly murdered the infant, a court has heard.

She is accused of trying to kill the premature baby, referred to as Child I, three times before succeeding on a fourth attempt on 23 October 2015.

Ms Letby, 33, is accused of injecting air into her stomach via a feeding tube at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

She denies murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others.

Manchester Crown Court was shown an image of a condolence card Ms Letby sent to the family of Child I ahead of her funeral on 10 November.

The card was titled "your loved one will be remembered with many smiles".

Inside, Ms Letby wrote: "There are no words to make this time any easier.

"It was a real privilege to care for [Child I] and get to know you as a family - a family who always put [Child I] first and did everything possible for her.

"She will always be part of your lives and we will never forget her.

"Thinking of you today and always. Lots of love Lucy x."

The message concludes with Ms Letby saying she was sorry she could not attend the funeral.

The court was previously told that Child I was born prematurely in August 2015 at Liverpool Women's Hospital at the gestational age of 27 weeks and weighed 2Ibs 2oz (970g).

She was transferred to the Countess of Chester Hospital later that month.

It is alleged that before murdering Child I, Ms Letby attempted to kill the infant on 30 September and during night shifts on 12 and 13 October.

The prosecution said she harmed the premature infant by injecting air into her feeding tube and bloodstream before she eventually died in the early hours of 23 October 2015.

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