A 36-year-old mother in the UK has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering her 14-month-old son by poisoning him with prescription medication shortly before authorities were due to take the child into care.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
Emma Barnett, from Debden in Essex, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years by Cambridge Crown Court after being found guilty of killing her son, Oakley.
Poisoned child after court ordered his removal
According to the court, Barnett joined a remote family court hearing on November 8, 2024, during which a judge ordered that Oakley be removed from her care.
Before the hearing, she drove to Epping Forest and collected prescription medicines. Prosecutors said she then returned home, hid in the loft with her son and created a false trail to suggest she had travelled elsewhere.
The court heard that Barnett mixed prescription drugs into juice and milk fed to Oakley through baby bottles, administering a fatal dose before social workers and police could intervene.
Police launched search after mother vanished
Following the court order, authorities began searching for Barnett and Oakley amid growing concerns for the toddler’s safety.
Her car was discovered in Epping Forest, triggering a large-scale search involving police dogs and a helicopter. Officers later went to her home and heard a baby crying from the loft shortly before midnight.
As negotiators attempted to persuade Barnett to come down, the situation took a dramatic turn.
“At 12.16am, in response to a police officer’s question, she said: ‘I killed him,’” the judge told the court.
Officers forced entry into the loft and found Oakley unresponsive. Barnett had also attempted to take her own life.
The toddler was rushed to hospital but died on December 31, 2024.
Judge: Child was ‘wholly dependent’ on her
Sentencing Barnett, Mr Justice Derek Sweeting described the case as the deliberate killing of a vulnerable child entirely dependent on his mother.
“This was the killing of a very young and vulnerable child wholly dependent on you, brought about by your deliberate actions,” he said.
The judge said evidence showed Barnett had planned her own death in advance and suggested she may have ultimately decided that if she could not keep Oakley, nobody else would, The Guardian reported.
Mental health issues acknowledged
The court acknowledged that Barnett suffered from a recognised personality disorder and noted that five of her older children had previously been removed from her care.
Barnett denied murdering Oakley but was convicted following a trial. She showed no visible reaction as she was led away after sentencing.
Prosecution alleges premeditated plan
Prosecutors argued that Barnett had known for weeks that Oakley’s removal was inevitable and had rejected offers of support because she intended to carry out a premeditated plan.
They said she deliberately concealed her whereabouts, joined the court hearing without activating her camera, and stocked the loft with supplies beforehand.
The drugs used in the poisoning had been prescribed to Barnett but, according to prosecutors, she was not taking them herself.
Father speaks of ‘massive void’
In a victim impact statement read in court, Oakley’s father, Jake Rose, said he was devastated by the loss of his son.
“I’m not ever going to see my little boy grow up,” he said.
“My life and heart is now always going to be filled with a massive void of never getting to know my precious boy.”
