A series of messages between the couple and from Letby to her friends, shown in court, shed light on the deepening nature of their friendship.
In the hours before Letby attempted to murder Baby N in June 2016, she told a friend that she had received a “strange” message from her colleague.
The nurse colleague replied: “Did you? Saying that? followed by a second message that read: “Go command? [laughing emoji]”
A few messages later, Letby responded to her friend’s “command” reference with four laughing emojis.
During cross-examination, she insisted that she had no idea what the term “command in motion” meant.
Later in the messages, the friend said “he thinks he likes you too” and wondered if the doctor was being “as flirtatious as you are”.
Letby replied: “Shut up!” before adding: “I don’t flirt with him…I certainly don’t like him haha, he’s just a nice guy.”
