London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Lucy Letby trial: Unusual finding in baby's X-ray, court hears

Lucy Letby trial: Unusual finding in baby's X-ray, court hears

A line of gas in front of the spine was an "unusual finding" on the post-mortem X-ray of a baby allegedly murdered by nurse Lucy Letby, her trial has heard.

Paediatric radiologist Dr Owen Arthurs said its appearance was "consistent with, but not diagnostic, of air having been administered".

The nurse has been accused of killing seven babies and attempting to murder 10 others at Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.

The 32-year-old denies 22 charges.

Ms Letby, 32, is accused of injecting air into the bloodstream of the newborn twin, referred to in court as Child A, who died on 8 June, a day after his premature birth.

Lucy Letby has been described as a "poisoner at work" on the ward


Jurors at Manchester Crown Court were told Dr Owen Arthurs, professor of radiology at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, had been instructed to review X-rays taken of Child A, when alive and after death, as well as other babies in the investigation.

Looking at one of the post-mortem X-rays, he highlighted to the court there was gas within the bowel, he said a normal feature, and also the heart.

Prosecutor Nick Johnson QC asked if there was anything unusual about the X-ray.

Dr Arthurs replied: "You can also see a line of gas just in front of the spine. That is an unusual finding."

He said such an image would not be seen in deaths by natural causes but had been documented in cases of road traffic accidents and sepsis infection.

"In my opinion this was an unusual appearance. In the absence of any other explanation this appearance is consistent with, but not diagnostic, of air having been administered," he said.

Dr Arthurs said he could not say from the image alone that an air embolism, a gas bubble which enters a blood vessel, was the cause of Child A's death.

The nurse worked on the neonatal ward at Countess of Chester Hospital


The court previously heard that Child A did not have intravenous fluids for up to four hours on 8 June before he received glucose through a "long line" plastic tube at 20:05, shortly after the Ms Letby came on duty.

Earlier on the shift a cannula to a blood vessel stopped working, followed by two failed attempts to correctly insert a catheter in the belly button.

Dr Arthurs told the court it was "possible" that gas could have been introduced by one of those devices.

Mr Johnson asked: "Have you ever seen this much gas in a baby that has not been explained?" to which Dr Arthurs replied: "Only in one other case."


Peer-reviewed study


When Mr Johnson said: "One of the other children in this case?", the doctor replied: "That's right."

Dr Arthurs said he based his opinion on a published peer-reviewed study in 2015 which looked at how common it is that gas occurs in older children who have died, albeit with "very few babies" included in the study.

He went on to review the deaths of 500 infants at Great Ormond Street.

The radiologist also reviewed the X-rays of Child A's twin sister, Child B, who Ms Letby is accused of killing by an injection of air on the following night shift at the neo-natal unit.

Dr Arthurs said he found "no significant abnormalities" on her radiographic images, including on a X-ray taken 40 minutes after she suffered a sudden collapse, which the prosecution say Ms Letby was responsible for.

The nurse, originally from Hereford, denies all the offences, which are said to have been committed between June 2015 and June 2016.

The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×