Sarah Barrass: Half brother and sister jailed for 35 years for murdering their two teenage sons and plotting to kill four others

Luke O'Reilly12 November 2019
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A half brother and sister have been jailed for 35 years for murdering two of their children and plotting to kill four others.

Sarah Barrass, 35, and Brandon Machin, 39, both previously pleaded guilty to the killing of Tristan and Blake Barrass, aged 13 and 14 respectively, who died in May.

The pair also admitted conspiracy to murder six of her, including Tristan and Blake, and five counts of attempted murder.

After reporting restrictions were lifted, it can now be reported that Machin is Barrass’s half-brother and the father of the six children.

Sarah Barrass strangled one of her sons with a chord
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The court heard that Barrass and Machin strangled Blake and Tristan then placed bin bags over their heads.

At their sentencing on Tuesday, Barrass and Machin were both jailed for 35 years.

As their sentencing hearing began, they each sat at opposite ends of the dock.

Kama Melly QC, prosecuting, told the court Barrass and Machin hatched a plan to kill the children because they feared they were going to be taken into care.

But the court heard that Barrass had threatened her children in the past.

Miss Melly said: “Visitors to Miss Barrass’s house would hear her tell the boys ‘I gave you life, I can take it away’.

“Speaking to the boys in that way was described as an everyday thing.”

The court heard that the defendants gathered up tablets from around the house on the evening of May 23 and divided them between the four eldest children.

Miss Melly said: “None of the children wanted to take the tablets but were forced to do so.

“The defendants expected the tablets to kill the children overnight.”

The court heard that Barrass sent messages and made social media posts overnight claiming that they were suffering from a sickness bug.

But when she realised the tablets had not had the effect she wanted, she began to search for information on the internet about alternative methods of murdering her children, including suffocating, strangulation and drowning.

Barrass called Machin and told him the plan had not worked and he needed to come to the house.

Miss Melly said: “They decided the children were better off dead than in care and he said he would help Sarah Barrass to the best of his ability.”

The court heard that Barrass and Machin strangled Blake and Tristan then placed bin bags over their heads.

Miss Melly said: “Barrass and Machin first strangled Blake, then Tristan, then placed bin bags over their heads to ensure their certain death.”

The defendants then ran a bath and repeatedly tried to drown one of the younger children, the court heard.

The court heard that Barrass strangled Tristan by wrapping her dressing gown cord around his neck and pulling for around three minutes.

Machin strangled Blake with his hands.

Following the murders, and the attempted murder of the younger child, Barrass took the surviving children into her bedroom and eventually called the police.

The court heard that Barrass requested help with her children from the local authority.

Miss Melly said the mother-of-six sent a message to a friend, in which she said: “I’ve thought of every possible solution to this mess. Mass murder, putting them all in care, checking in to the local nut house.

“I love my kids too much to kill them, I can’t put them into care for the same reason.”

Bryan Cox QC, mitigating for Barrass, described her crimes as “evil and nothing but evil” but said she was “profoundly damaged by her childhood”.

He continued: “The defendant was desperate to prevent her children being taken into care.

“She couldn’t cope with the prospect of them being removed.”

Mr Cox told the court Barrass had “experienced a chronically traumatic childhood”.

He said: “She was, over many years, subject to sustained neglect and emotional, physical and sexual abuse.”

The court heard that Barrass told police she planned to kill the younger two children and herself after the older four had died.

She described how the children were “terrified” as she tried to make them take the tablets and the child she tried to drown was “hysterical” as she held his head under the water.

The court heard that Blake saw his mother strangling Tristan with the dressing gown cord before he was strangled by Machin.

Mr Justice Goss said to Barrass: “You considered your love for them and fear of being parted from them entitled you to take their lives as well as your own.”

The judge handed the pair concurrent life sentences for the counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to murder, with a minimum term of 10 years.

Speaking outside of court Chief Superintendent Stuart Barton said: "Incidents like this are certainly very rare.

"We hope to work with partners to ensure that any of the young people affected by this incident will be given all the support they need to be able to move forward with their lives."

He thanked the press for their conduct throughout the trial.

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