Essex mother jailed for life for poisoning baby son with drugs

A mother in Essex, England, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her one-year-old son, Oakley. Emma Barnett, 36, administered a fatal mix of prescription medications to her son through a baby bottle in a bid to prevent him from being taken into care.

The tragic events unfolded on November 8, 2024, when Barnett was scheduled to participate remotely in a family court hearing. The court had ordered that Oakley be removed from her custody. Instead of complying, Barnett drove to Epping Forest, collected her prescribed medications, and then hid in the loft of her home with her son.

“

I killed him

Barnett added promethazine, an antihistamine known for its sedative effects, and mirtazapine, an antidepressant, to Oakley's milk and juice. As concerns grew for the welfare of Barnett and Oakley, police were alerted. A search involving a helicopter and dogs was launched after Barnett's car was found in Epping Forest.

“

This was the killing of a very young and vulnerable child wholly dependent on you brought about by your deliberate actions.

Shortly before midnight, officers located Barnett in the loft, hearing Oakley crying. Despite attempts to coax her down, Barnett confessed to killing her son at 12:16 a.m. on November 9. Officers forced entry and found Oakley unresponsive. Barnett had also attempted suicide.

Oakley died in hospital on December 31, 2024. Sentencing Barnett to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years, the judge, Mr Justice Derek Sweeting, described it as the "killing of a very young and vulnerable child wholly dependent on you brought about by your deliberate actions." He noted Barnett's history of mental health issues and that her five older children had already been removed from her care.

“

I consider it at least possible it wasn’t until 8 November you came to the view that if you could not have Oakley, no one else could have him.