Emma Barnett, 36, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 22 years for the murder of her 14-month-old son, Oakley, in Essex. The Found Dead in Loft After Years Missing – Two Charged with Murder" href="https://uknip.co.uk/news/uk/court-news/police-name-murder-victim-found-in-enfield-loft/">tragic case unfolded after Barnett gave Oakley a lethal mix of medication in a poisoned milk bottle and concealed his body in a loft. The case shocked Cambridge Crown Court and the local community.
Fatal Poisoning
The court heard Barnett administered the poisoned milk to Oakley on the same day a family court ordered that he would be removed from her care. Earlier that morning, she collected prescriptions containing the drugs used to fatally poison her son.
Desperate Attempt To Avoid Detection
Barnett vanished from her home in Debden, Essex, and was later found hiding in a loft alongside Oakley’s unresponsive body, surrounded by blankets. Social workers raised the alarm when she failed to attend a court hearing and sent messages stating she was “going to the Forest” and would “lose” her phone, prompting an urgent police search around Epping Forest.
Last Moments And Admission
Paramedics managed to restart Oakley’s heart, but he slipped into a coma and later died in hospital. When confronted by police, Barnett initially said the toddler was sleeping before confessing, “I have killed him.”
Background And Sentencing
The court heard Barnett had a history with social services, with four of her children placed into long-term foster care and another living with their father. The judge stated that Barnett acted out of a determination to prevent Oakley from being taken from her, choosing to end his life rather than allow him to be placed safely elsewhere.
Judges Ruling
Sentencing Barnett to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years, the judge emphasised the deliberate and tragic nature of the crime and the need for justice.
