Woman who allegedly 'poisoned' her two teenage sons leading to their death charged with murder
A mother accused of murdering her two teenage children appeared in court on Monday, May 27, on related charges. Following a "major" incident at a house in Sheffield, South Yorkshire on Friday, 34-year-old Sarah Barrass was charged with murder, according to a Daily Mail report.
Her sons, 13-year-old Tristan Barrass and 14-year-old Blake Barrass, were rushed to hospital on Friday, May 24, but were pronounced dead soon after. The cause of death is yet to be established. At around 7 30 am on May 24, authorities responded to a property in the Shiregreen area and arrested Sarah along with 37-year-old Brandon Machin. The pair have since been charged with murder. What's more, Sarah is also accused of three counts of attempted murder against two other children, it is being said.
According to reports, Tristan and Blake are suspected to have been poisoned before they were taken to the hospital. The teenagers allegedly sent a message at 7 am to a friend through their Nintendo Switch console saying they were "feeling sick". This was just half an hour before police showed up at the residence.
Both Sarah and Machin appeared before a judge at Sheffield Magistrates on Monday, May 27, draped in grey prison uniforms and flanked by three security officers for a short 10-minute hearing. The duo confirmed their names, ages, addresses, and nationalities in court. However, they did not enter a plea agreement. Sarah could be heard shouting and sobbing as she was escorted away from the dock.
The pair are currently remanded in custody to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on Tuesday morning. No application for bail has been made so far. "You will be sent to the crown court and will appear there tomorrow morning. Because of the nature of the offenses, bail is not applicable. You will be remanded in custody," the chair of the bench said. At least two riot vans, 15 police cars, and four ambulances responded to the scene while an air ambulance landed at a nearby primary school, according to the report.
The entrance to the family's home, which is still sealed behind police tape, was lined with dozens of floral tributes on Friday. Tearful friends of Tristan and Blake along with several schoolchildren were seen bringing flowers, teddy bears, and balloons to the residence in tribute. An online fundraising campaign has been launched to facilitate the future of the surviving children. Commenting on the sad event, Gill Furniss, Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, said she was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident."
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