Lucy Letby said she took a picture of the card to remember her ‘kind words’ (Picture: PA/SWNS)
Lucy Letby photographed a sympathy card sent to the grieving parents of a baby girl to remember her ‘kind words’, a court has heard.
Letby, 33, who has been accused of murdering the baby known as Child I, captured the image of the card on her mobile phone ahead of the youngster’s funeral in October 2015.
It was her fourth attempt to take the premature baby’s life, Manchester Crown Court heard.
Letby is alleged to have murdered seven babies and tried to murder 10 others while working as a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s neo-natal unit.
On Tuesday, excerpts of Letby’s interviews by Cheshire Police following her arrest were read to the court.
Asked how she coped with the death of Child I, she said: ‘It effects everybody on the unit because we all knew (Child I) quite well and we’d got to know the family.
‘And then I wanted to go to (Child I’s) funeral. I was unfortunately working at the time so didn’t go.’
Letby admitted in the police interview sending a sympathy card wasn’t ‘normal practice’ but she knew the family very well.
Letby took a photograph on her mobile phone of the card ahead of the youngster’s funeral (Picture: PA)
She admitted it wasn’t usual practice to send a card (Picture: PA)
Lucy Letby is alleged to have murdered seven babies and attempted to murder 10 others (Picture: Chester Standard/SWNS)
She said: ‘I sent a sympathy card to the parents because I wasn’t able to attend the funeral.
‘Well, it’s not very often that we would get to know a family as well as we did with (Child I).’
She also said she wanted to remember the ‘kind words’ she had written to the family.
The detective asked: ‘Why did you take photographs of it on your phone?’
Letby said: ‘To remember what I had sent to them. It was upsetting losing (Child I) and I think it was nice to remember the kind words that I hoped I’d shared with that family.’
She said she sent the card to the family as they were ‘close’ (Pictured: PA)
Letby wrote on the card: ‘There are no words to make this time any easier.
‘It was a real priviledge (sic) 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 a part of your lives and we will never forget her. Thinking of you today and always – sorry I cannot be there to say goodbye.
‘Lots of love Lucy x.’
The card contained the printed message: ‘Your loved one will be remembered with many smiles.’
Letby denies all the alleged offences said to have taken place between June 2015 and June 2016.
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Letby allegedly wanted to remember the ‘kind words’ she sent to the parents.