'I am evil, I did this': Nurse accused of killing babies 'wrote confession note,' murder trial hears
13 October 2022, 11:48 | Updated: 13 October 2022, 20:09
Children’s nurse Lucy Letby, who is accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder 10 more, penned a series of notes including one that said: "I am evil, I did this" , a court heard today.
Prosecutors alleged a series of notes and post-it notes written by her include one message, on a green post-it, that said: “I don't deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough."
The words 'Hope, Panic and Fear' were among other words crowded on to a piece of paper, which also read: 'I will never have children or marry'.
She also wrote: "I am a horrible evil person" and in capital letters, "I AM EVIL I DID THIS,” the court heard.
Jurors were told the notes were found during a search of Letby’s home.
Earlier the court was told Letby photographed two of three triplets lying dead together in a cot after allegedly murdering them after telling a doctor that one of them was 'not leaving here alive'
The nurse also spent time comforting their heartbroken parents after she allegedly injected air into the tiny bodies of the siblings - known as Baby O and Baby P - to compromise their breathing.
One doctor also claimed that she had spoken to Letby before Baby P died predicting his survival, so was surprised when she replied: 'He's not leaving alive here, is he?', the jury in her murder trial was told.
The parents of some of the babies in the case were in court today to hear the prosecution's closing speech.
The note was shown in court on large screens.
Prosecutors said officers found paperwork relating to many of the children whose deaths and collapses feature in the case, as well as a series of post-it notes which had names of colleagues on them.
The court heard some notes contained comments including: “What allegations have been made and by who?” and “Do they have written evidence to support their comments.”
Concluding the prosecution opening, which began on Monday, Mr Johnson said "interesting items" were found after the arrest and police search of Lucy Letby's house.
He said: "I have already told you that the police found a large quantity of hospital paperwork relating to many of the children whose deaths and collapses you are now considering.
"They also found some other interesting items. There were some Post-it notes with closely-written words, some of which included the names of some of her colleagues.
"On some of the notes were phrases like as 'Why/how has this happened - what process has led to this current situation. 'What allegations have been made and by who? Do they have written evidence to support their comments?'"
"In her writings, she expressed frustration at the fact that she was not being allowed back on to the neo-natal unit and wrote, 'I haven't done anything wrong and they have no evidence, so why have I had to hide away?'"
And notes also expressed concern for the long-term effects of what she feared was being alleged against her and there are also many protestations of innocence. "But I want to show you one note in particular."
Highlighting a yellow Post-it note shown on TV screens to the jury, Mr Johnson focused on some of the words written by Letby.
Mr Johnson said: "She wrote, 'I don't deserve to live. I killed them on purpose because I'm not good enough'. 'I am a horrible evil person' and in capital letters, 'I AM EVIL I DID THIS'."
He added: "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that in a nutshell is your task in this case. Whether or not she did these dreadful things is the decision you will have to make when you have heard all the evidence.
Yesterday Letby sat in the dock wearing a black jacket as she listened to the prosecution lay out an allegation of murder against Child I and O, two of attempted murder against Child H, and further the attempted murders of Child J, K, L, M and N.
Mr Johnson described the case of Child I as 'an extreme example even by the standards of this overall case'. He said Letby first tried to kill Child I by injecting air into the infant's stomach.
After Letby's third alleged attempt on her life, Child I was transferred to another hospital where she made a dramatic recovery. But after being returned to Letby's care, the infant collapsed and needed cardiac compressions,
"Baby I was born very early and very small - but she survived the first two months of her life and was doing well by the time Lucy Letby got her hands on her," Mr Johnson said.
After Child I's death, her parents were taken to a private room and asked if they wanted to bathe her. Mr Johnson said that as the baby's mother bathed her recently departed child, Letby came into the room and, in the words of the mother, was 'smiling and kept going on about how she was present at Child I's first bath and how much Child I had loved it'."
The nurse later sent a sympathy card to the parents, something that was "not normal".
Letby's parents were sitting in court in the public gallery as the prosecution's case drew to a close.
Letby is currently on trial at Manchester Crown Court charged with 22 attacks on 17 babies between June 2016 and June 2018. Ms Letby denies the allegations.
The trial continues.
