Mother found Letby with crying baby, inquiry hears

A mother spoke emotionally as she described the moment she found Lucy Letby with her premature baby, crying and with blood around his mouth.

- ALEX ROSS

Giving evidence at the Thirlwall Inquiry, the woman told how she heard screaming and crying like "I'd never really heard" as she walked toward the neo-natal unit at Countess of Chester Hospital to provide milk.

Entering the room she found her baby – known as Baby E – with Letby close by, the inquiry heard. Hours later the baby died. Letby was later found guilty of the murder of seven babies, including Baby E by injecting air into his circulation. She was also convicted of attempting to murder seven more, including Baby E’s twin brother, Baby F.

Recalling the incident, the mother told the inquiry: “As I was coming to the unit along the corridor I could hear screaming and crying and it was a shock because I’d never really heard ... a baby cry like that and then I walked in the room and realised it was my baby. And I went to him and he had blood around his mouth and I was just shocked.”

She continued: “I asked Lucy Letby why there was blood around his mouth, why it was bleeding and she was quite dismissive ... [she said] ‘I contacted the registrar and he’s on his way, you go back to the ward, if there are any problems I’ll ring for you’. I knew there was something not right.”