I gave you life... I can take it away
Chilling words of mother who went on to kill two teenage sons she had with her own half-brother
AN INCESTUOUS couple were jailed for 35 years yesterday for murdering their eldest two children and trying to kill the other four.
Sarah Barrass, 35, told them on almost a daily basis: ‘I gave you life, I can take it away.’
She put her vile words into action when she feared social workers were about to take her children into care.
Barrass was in a long-term relationship with her half-brother Brandon Machin, 39, who was the father of all six children.
Together the couple attempted to kill four of them with an overdose of pills. When that didn’t work they strangled the oldest two – Blake, 14, and Tristan, 13 – and tied bin bags over their heads.
They attempted to drown a third child in the bath and planned to kill the other three, two of whom were under three years of age. After murdering the teenage boys
Barrass is said to have come to her senses and contacted police.
She told officers that Blake came into the room when she was strangling his brother. He was then attacked by Machin. The oldest surviving children told a social worker they wanted their parents to go to prison for ‘300 years’. They had believed their father was dead and thought Machin was simply an uncle, the court heard.
Barrass and Machin admitted multiple murder, conspiracy to murder and attempted murder charges in September.
At Sheffield Crown Court yesterday they were jailed for life with a minimum of 35 years.
The shocking case raises serious questions about the role of social workers who failed to take the children into care in time.
Officials first became concerned about the relationship between Barrass and Machin 21 years ago when she was 14.
Just two days before the murders, social workers in Sheffield raised the level of scrutiny on the family. Tragically, this acted as a catalyst for the appalling crimes.
Before the sentencing hearing another sibling, 34-year-old Martyn Barrass, said: ‘Social services have been aware of our family since before Sarah had kids.
‘They don’t seem to have done the job they could have done or should have done. That’s what I’m struggling to understand. The main people to blame are Sarah and Brandon. But social services could have prevented it, could have stopped it. This will haunt us for ever.’
The paternity of the children was allegedly a secret and the murder plan was put into action on May 23 when Barrass feared a social worker was about to uncover the truth and put all the children into care.
The court heard she had herself been put into care as a child and suffered traumatic abuse within her family. Her mother was a drunk and she lived with her children in appalling conditions. Social services were closely involved from when Barrass was just six years old.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Goss said Barrass and Machin had been in a consensual incestuous relationship and the pregnancies were planned.
After the case, John Macilwraith, executive director of people services at Sheffield City Council, said a serious case review would be held.
He added: ‘This is such a tragic and, we hope, isolated case that it is vital to examine every aspect in order to establish what can be learned.’
‘Social services could have stopped it’