Lucy Letby told colleague she was 'upset and frustrated', baby murder trial jury told

Letby, 33, messaged a colleague during a night shift at the Countess of Chester Hospital about not being allocated to work in the neo-natal unit's intensive care room, jurors were told.

Five days earlier another baby boy - her alleged first victim, Child A - had died in intensive care room one.

On the evening of June 13, 2015, the court heard she texted a fellow nurse: "I just keep thinking about Mon(day). Feel like I need to be in 1 to overcome it but (nurse) said no x."

Her colleague, Jennifer Jones-Key said: "You need a full-on break from ICU. You have to let it go or it will eat you up."

Letby said: "I just feel I need to be in 1 to get the image out of my head. To be in 3 is eating me up. All I can see is him in 1.

"It probably sounds odd but it's how I feel."

Her colleague replied: "It sounds very odd and I would be complete opposite."

Letby responded: "Well that's how I feel ... You don't expect people to understand but I know how I feel and how I have dealt with it before.

"I voiced that so can't do any more but people should respect that."

Letby went on to explain when working at Liverpool Women's Hospital she had "lost a baby one day and a few hours later was given another dying baby just by the same cot space".

At 11.09pm she texted her colleague: "Forget it ... I'll overcome it myself. I'm obviously making more of it than I should x."

At 11.15pm the baby boy, Child C, suddenly deteriorated in room one, jurors have heard.

Medics failed to revive him and "token resuscitation" took place until the arrival of a Church of England vicar to baptise the youngster.

Child C was pronounced dead at 5.50am on June 14.

When interviewed by police about the death of Child C, the defendant said she did not recall the text conversation.

Asked what she felt she needed to overcome, she replied: "I'm assuming ... I previously had a bad experience in (room) one."

Letby thought the image she "wanted out of my head" was that of Child A.

She told officers: "It's very difficult, when you see dead babies it's hard to get that image out of your head."

The detective asked: "Why would going into nursery one help?"

Letby replied: "Because I would see a different baby in there, and see a different scenario to the scenario I had at the time when he died."

The detective said: "How would it be a different scenario?"

Letby said: "It's a different baby, it's different staff, it's a different night.

"Because I think when you are going to the same incubator space and there is a different baby there you know you let the one you lost go. Until you go into that space, you see that baby until another baby goes in there."

The detective said: "You sent the final text at 11.09pm. Six minutes after you sent that (Child C) collapsed."

"Right," said Letby.

The detective went on: "What are you thoughts on that?"

Letby responded: "I don't have any thoughts on that."

The detective said: "The text messages suggest you were frustrated at not working in nursery one, do you agree?"

The defendant said: "Yes, I think it would have helped me if I could have been in nursery one."

Letby agreed she was the only staff member in room one when Child C collapsed and that she was seen at his cot-side when a monitor alarm sounded.

The detective asked: "And at that time you were feeling upset and frustrated?"

"Yes," said Letby.

The detective said: "You went on to attack (Child C)?"

Letby said: "No I haven't. No."

The detective said: "Lucy, did you murder (Child C)?"

"No," the defendant said.

The detective asked: "Can you give any explanation as to how (Child C) died?"

Letby replied: "No."

The defendant is accused of murdering Child A and Child C by injecting them with air.

She also allegedly attempted to murder Child A's twin sister, Child B.

Letby, originally from Hereford, denies the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of 10 others between June 2015 and June 2016.

The case continues.