In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Sarah Barrass, 35, and her family member Brandon Machin, 39, were each sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in prison for the “vicious” murder of two teenage boys. Appearing at Sheffield Crown Court, the pair admitted to the murders of Tristan and Blake Barrass, aged 13 and 14, at a property in Shiregreen, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. It was reported that the defendants also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder all six of Barrass’s children and five counts of attempted murder.
The investigation established that the “harrowing” events took place over a 48-hour period in May 2019, following a nine-day plot. South Yorkshire Police reported that Barrass and Machin gorged on horror movies and killed pet mice before turning their brutality on the children. The prosecution reported that the pair first attempted to poison four of the children by forcing them to swallow a collection of ADHD tablets, expecting them to die overnight.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that when the poisoning attempt failed, Barrass searched online for methods of suffocation and drowning. Sheffield Crown Court heard that on 24 May, Barrass strangled Tristan with a dressing gown cord, while Machin strangled Blake with his hands. The investigation established that they then placed bin bags over the boys’ heads to ensure their death. The pair also repeatedly attempted to drown one of the younger children in a bath before Barrass eventually called the police.
Kama Melly QC, prosecuting, stated that the surviving children—all under the age of 13—suffered hallucinations and vomiting from the poisoning but recovered in intensive care. For their actions in Shiregreen, the defendants were described as “vile” and “evil.” The judge noted that Barrass had frequently told her children, “I gave you life, I can take it away,” and that the plot was hatched because she feared the children would be taken into care by the local authority.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the crimes reported in England, the status of Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin as of late 2019 was as follows:
- Custodial Sentence: Life Imprisonment with a minimum term of 35 years each.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court following a South Yorkshire Police investigation.
- Criminal Record: Murder (2 counts); Conspiracy to murder (6 counts); Attempted murder (5 counts).
- Origin: Shiregreen, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
- Release Date: Not eligible for parole until at least 2054.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Barrass and Machin are managed under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) as Category 1 high-risk offenders within the prison estate. Due to the nature of their conduct in Sheffield, which involved the “shocking” and “vicious” systematic attempt to exterminate an entire family of six children, their management is a maximum priority. Authorities state that the calculated nature of the “house of horrors” plot requires the highest level of psychiatric monitoring and security.
As convicted child killers, their details are permanently logged on the national police database. Authorities state that their predatory and “vile” behaviour demonstrated a total lack of empathy or regard for human life. While they are serving life sentences, any future consideration for parole after their 35-year minimum term will be subject to an intensive assessment by the Parole Board to ensure the ongoing safety of the public and the surviving children, who were left “traumatised” by the “harrowing” betrayal of their own mother.
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