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into care for the same reasons." A social services meeting on 22 May, from which
Barrass was excluded, seems to have been a crisis point. After this, she was told that the children's status was raised from 'child in need' to the more actively involved 'child in protection'. Social services were unaware of the children's father and made inquiries into this, and performed the usual screening for any possibility of sexual abuse within the home. The final trigger may have been a phone call to Barrass on the evening of 23 May, when an unnamed local individual complained of a further sexual assault by Tristan against a child, and that they would be reporting the matter to social services. On arrest, Barrass made the statements to police that she would, "rather see them dead than in care," and "I gave them life and I can take it away".
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436:. It remained unoccupied in the aftermath of the murders and the arrest and trial of Barrass and Machin. Following their sentencing, Sanctuary Housing applied for planning permission to demolish the house and construct a memorial in its place. The proposals gained the support of the surviving members of the Barrass family as well as the wider local community in
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and initiated a large scale response to the incident. Fifteen police cars arrived to raid the property, during which the police located six children—aged 7 months and 3, 10, 11, 13 and 14 years—unconscious inside the property. Officers arrested two people, a 37-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, on suspicion of murder.
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in a non-life threatening condition, although they will remain hospitalised for "certainly the next few hours". Police later narrowed down the cordon to the affected street and confirmed they were not looking for other suspects in connection with the "isolated" incident, with no wider risk to the community.
391:
two years earlier. A similar allegation was later made about
Tristan, the 13 year old victim, in May, shortly before the deaths. Messages from Barrass were shown which indicated her concern of the children being taken into foster care as a result, "I love my kids too much to kill ‘em, I can’t put ‘em
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at the scene after the police raid. Four road ambulances also attended the scene; all six children were transported to the
Sheffield Children's Hospital for treatment. The eldest two children, aged 13 and 14, subsequently died in hospital. The four remaining children were reported to be conscious and
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attended a residential property on Gregg House Road, close to
Hartley Brook Primary Academy in the Shiregreen district of northern Sheffield, at around 07:30 am on 24 May 2019. The police had received reports of concerns for the safety of a number of children inside the property from neighbours,
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had occurred in
Shiregreen: Hartley Brook Primary Academy was implicated in some such reports, as the school was located within the lockdown cordon and was used as a landing site for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. A press release by South Yorkshire Police later ruled out a shooting, confirming that no
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Barrass and Machin acted together. They first attempted to poison the four oldest children using prescribed ADHD medication. When this was ineffective, they proceeded to strangle the two older boys. Barrass using a dressing gown cord to strangle
Tristan and Machin strangling Blake with his hands,
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On 27 September 2019, Sarah
Barrass, 35, and Brandon Machin, 39, both pled guilty to the two murders, conspiracy to murder all six children, and five counts of attempted murder. Barrass pled guilty to five counts of attempted murder against her four surviving children, this anomaly was due to the
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A murder investigation was launched shortly after the initial police raid concluded, with forensic examination of the property and surrounding areas. Barrass and Machin were arrested and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder. The property where the incident occurred was a
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constituency within which the incident occurred, said in a statement that she was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident", describing
Shiregreen as a "strong community" and thanking the emergency services for their efforts.
337:. The school issued a statement following the confirmation of fatalities, saying that the incident came as "a huge shock to everyone". The Academy subsequently offered support for students and staff affected by the incident.
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Barrass texted a friend just after 7:00 am alleging that Machin was trying to kill her and admitting the deaths. "He's trying to kill us and
Tristan and Blake are already dead.", both of them then called the police.
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According to the planning application, the memorial would consist of a small greenspace on the former site of the house, with a memorial tree in the centre. The house was demolished on 17 February 2021.
292:, where the two oldest children later died. Two people, Brandon Machin, a 38- or 39-year-old man and Sarah Barrass, the 34-year-old mother of the children, were arrested at the property on suspicion of
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In
November 2018, an allegation of sexual assault towards another child had been made about Blake, the 14 year old victim, and social services became involved. He had also been diagnosed with
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At the sentencing hearing on 12 November, further information was revealed. This information had previously been subject to a reporting ban, lifted at the sentencing hearing.
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In the immediate aftermath of the incident, there was widespread speculation on social media, before information began to emerge. Particularly, there were reports that a
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Barrass and Machin were half-siblings and had been in an incestuous relationship for some time, Machin spending days at the house but maintaining his own home in
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both to unconsciousness and then suffocating them with plastic bags over their heads. They then made an unsuccessful attempt to drown another child in the bath.
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The area surrounding Gregg House Road was placed under lockdown, including Hartley Brook Primary Academy, whose playground was used for the landing of the
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The five counts were against four children, the initial poisoning and the later drowning early on the next day were both counted as separate attempts.
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732:"Sarah Barrass attempted to blame half-brother Brandon Machin for the murders of their two sons in the hours following their deaths"
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699:"Social services were involved with the Barrass family for six months before the murders of tragic brothers Blake and Tristan"
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first attempts being on 23 May, and a further attempt against one child on 24 May. Sentencing was set for 12 November.
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On 12 November 2019, both Barrass and Machin were sentenced to life for murder, with a minimum of 35 years in prison.
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399:. The review report was published in August 2020, and found that the murders could not have been predicted.
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871:"Relief as Sheffield 'horror home' where tragic Tristan and Blake Barrass were killed is demolished"
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on 24 May 2019, police officers were called to a residential property on Gregg House Road in
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845:"Sheffield house where evil Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin killed sons is torn down"
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897:"Sheffield mum posted sick 'murder boast' on Facebook before killing teenage sons"
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596:"Two Children Have Died Following 'Serious Incident' In Shiregreen, Sheffield"
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His age at sentencing was 39. Some early reports gave his age at arrest as 37.
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626:"Shiregreen child murders: Sarah Barrass pleads guilty to killing two sons"
788:"Agencies could not have predicted parents' murder of sons, review finds"
658:"Sheffield mum strangled teenage sons and tried to drown another in bath"
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As usual after a case involving such deaths, social services performed a
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shots had been fired and there had not been an incident at the school.
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759:"Shiregreen murders: Murder plot survivor 'fears becoming a killer'"
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440:. Planning permission was granted for the project in July 2020.
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Both sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 35 years
816:"Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin jailed for murdering sons"
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563:"Two children dead after 'major incident' in Sheffield"
480:– British mother who killed her two children in 2018
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Shiregreen child murders (Yorkshire and the Humber)
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428:The murders occurred at 92 Gregg House Road, an
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118:Shiregreen child murders (the United Kingdom)
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561:Clifton, Katy; White, Megan (24 May 2019).
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365:. The garden was described as "unkempt".
540:"Two boys dead as police swoop on house"
35:A residential street in Shiregreen, 2011
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965:May 2019 events in the United Kingdom
349:Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
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730:Marshall, Sarah (14 November 2019).
697:Marshall, Sarah (13 November 2019).
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95:Show map of Yorkshire and the Humber
66:Shiregreen child murders (Sheffield)
935:2019 murders in the United Kingdom
869:Lewis, Claire (18 February 2021).
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940:2019 crimes in the United Kingdom
895:Windham, Dan (12 November 2019).
656:Windham, Dan (12 November 2019).
240:Tristan Barrass (13y, deceased),
843:Bent, Lloyd (17 February 2021).
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238:Blake Barrass (14y, deceased),
786:Walker, Amy (28 August 2020).
432:residential property owned by
121:Show map of the United Kingdom
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290:Sheffield Children's Hospital
250:Sarah Barrass, Brandon Machin
594:Nelson, Sara (24 May 2019).
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550:– via www.bbc.co.uk.
960:May 2019 crimes in Europe
347:Member of Parliament for
304:Police officers from the
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242:four siblings (survived)
24:Shiregreen child murders
314:Yorkshire Air Ambulance
280:, a northern suburb of
306:South Yorkshire Police
169:53.428057°N 1.449177°W
472:Ughill Hall shootings
466:Sheffield incest case
69:Show map of Sheffield
16:2019 crime in England
955:Filicides in England
174:53.428057; -1.449177
634:. 27 September 2019
454:Killamarsh killings
397:Serious Case Review
165: /
950:Crime in Sheffield
945:2010s in Sheffield
875:The Sheffield Star
849:The Sheffield Star
824:. 12 November 2019
767:. 12 November 2019
460:Derby arson attack
335:Firth Park Academy
434:Sanctuary Housing
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880:20 February
854:20 February
828:14 November
771:14 November
743:14 November
710:14 November
600:HuffPost UK
430:end terrace
263:Convictions
204:Attack type
198:24 May 2019
172: /
147:Coordinates
924:Categories
485:References
438:Shiregreen
382:Burngreave
373:Sentencing
278:Shiregreen
157:53°25′41″N
136:Shiregreen
60:Shiregreen
282:Sheffield
160:1°26′57″W
140:Sheffield
797:18 April
662:The Star
448:See also
424:Memorial
416:Sentence
321:Response
300:Incident
130:Location
403:Murders
255:Verdict
235:Victims
227:Injured
209:Murders
188:~07:30
667:28 May
605:24 May
572:24 May
546:24 May
474:(1986)
468:(2008)
462:(2012)
456:(2021)
345:Labour
343:, the
294:murder
219:Deaths
194:UTC+1
910:2019
882:2021
856:2021
830:2019
799:2022
773:2019
745:2019
712:2019
669:2023
640:2019
607:2019
574:2019
548:2019
389:ADHD
211:and
185:Date
274:BST
190:BST
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