A mother from Essex has been found guilty of killing her 14-month-old son by feeding him a lethal cocktail of prescription drugs moments before he was due to be taken into care. Emma Barnett, 36, of Debden, Essex, administered the fatal mixture to her son Oakley on November 8, 2024, shortly after a family court hearing had ordered his removal from her care.
Court Proceedings and Discovery
Following the hearing, Barnett and her toddler were reported missing and initially believed to have gone to Epping Forest. However, police later forced entry into Barnett’s home and discovered them hiding in the loft. At first, Barnett refused to let officers see Oakley, claiming he was sleeping, but eventually confessed: ‘I have killed him.’
Cambridge Crown Court heard that social workers had been trying to locate Barnett and safeguard Oakley after the court hearing. The judge, Mr Justice Sweeting, summarized the evidence, stating that Barnett had parked her car at Epping Forest and then walked back home. She later claimed in an interview that she ‘wanted the police to think I was in the forest so I could stay indoors with Oakley.’
Evidence and Defense
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) presented evidence showing that Barnett had prepared a bottle containing a mixture of milk and medication, which she gave to Oakley, causing his death. The prosecution argued that the act was deliberate. In contrast, the defense claimed that Oakley’s death was accidental. The judge told jurors that Barnett’s case was that ‘she didn’t intentionally administer medication or intend serious harm or to kill him.’
Barnett stated that hiding in the loft ‘was to extend the time she had left with Oakley.’ Investigators found two baby bottles in the loft with liquids testing positive for an antihistamine, which can induce sedation, and an antidepressant. An expert’s evidence indicated that ‘taken together their effects may be greater than either alone’ and could cause ‘respiratory compromise.’
Prosecutor and Police Statements
Nicola Pope, senior Crown prosecutor, said: ‘Emma Barnett deliberately gave her baby son a dangerous mixture containing medication which proved fatal. Our prosecution case relied on a detailed and careful analysis of the evidence from the police investigation, including expert medical evidence, to establish how Oakley came to die.’
Detective Inspector James Holmes of Essex Police commented: ‘This was an extremely upsetting and difficult investigation for everybody involved. Our thoughts remain with Oakley and everyone who loved him.’
Barnett is due to be sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on June 5.
