Sarah Barrass: Mother told teenage sons 'I gave you life, I can take it away' before murdering them, court hears

Pair strangled two boys after failed attempt to kill them using a drug overdose

A mother told her sons “I gave you life, I can take it away” before murdering them, a court has heard.

Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin admitted killing the two teenage boys at their Sheffield home in May.

They also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder four more of Barrass's children, and five counts of attempted murder.

Kama Melly QC, prosecuting, said the pair hatched the plan because feared the children were going to be taken into care.

“Visitors to Miss Barrass's house would hear her tell the boys 'I gave you life, I can take it away',“ she told Sheffield Crown Court.

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

The court heard that Tristan and Blake Barrass, aged 13 and 14 respectively, had survived an initial attempt to kill them using a drug overdose.

Barrass, 35, and Machin, 39, gathered up a mixture of tablets from around the house on the evening of 23 May and divided them between the four eldest children.

"None of the children wanted to take the tablets but were forced to do so,” Ms Melly said.

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

As part of a planned cover-up, 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 desired effect, the mother started online research 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.

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

"Barrass and Machin first strangled Blake, then Tristan, then placed bin bags over their heads to ensure their certain death."

The court heard that Barrass strangled Tristan herself by wrapping her dressing gown cord around his neck and pulling for around three minutes, while Machin strangled Blake with his hands.

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

Barrass then took the surviving children into her bedroom and eventually called the police, later telling them she had intended to kill all six children and then herself.

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 Barrass had previously requested help with her children from the local authority.

In a message to a friend, 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.”

Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin admitted killing the children (South Yorkshire Police/PA)

Bryan Cox QC, defending Barrass, said she was “profoundly damaged by her childhood”, when she suffered physical and sexual abuse.

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.”

The surviving children, who are all under the age of 13, cannot be named for legal reasons.

A serious case review is to be held by local authorities into the children's deaths.

Additional reporting by PA