A mother who poisoned her one-year-old son with a lethal cocktail of prescription medications added to milk in a baby bottle has been jailed for life for his murder. Emma Barnett, 36, killed 14-month-old Oakley before he could be taken into care after a family court hearing ordered that he be removed from her.
Sentencing Barnett at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday, Mr Justice Derek Sweeting imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years. The judge said the time she had already spent on remand – 357 days – would be deducted, leaving a minimum term of 21 years and 7 days. “This was the killing of a very young and vulnerable child wholly dependent on you brought about by your deliberate actions,” he told her. He said he was “certain” Barnett had “set about planning (her) own death in advance” and considered it “at least possible it wasn’t until 8 November you came to the view that if you could not have Oakley, no one else could have him”.
The poisoning: drugs and their effects on Oakley
Barnett administered a lethal combination of two prescription drugs: promethazine, an antihistamine known for its sedative effects, and mirtazapine, an antidepressant. She mixed the ground-up medication into Oakley’s milk and juice, feeding him via baby bottles and a syringe. The judge detailed how, on the morning of 8 November 2024, she drove to Epping Forest and collected the medications that had been prescribed to her on the way home.
Promethazine is known to carry significant risks for young children. It is contraindicated in children under two years of age because of the risk of fatal respiratory depression; even in older children under six, caution is advised. Expert testimony during the trial indicated that the combined effects of promethazine and mirtazapine could cause respiratory compromise in a child of Oakley’s age. Barnett had researched the lethal dosage of these drugs online, according to the prosecution’s case. She admitted she was not taking them herself, despite having been prescribed them.
The sequence of events on 8 November 2024
Barnett had been due to attend a family court hearing remotely on 8 November, a hearing that was expected to order Oakley’s removal from her care. Before the hearing began, she laid a false trail: she drove her car to Epping Forest, creating the impression she had gone to a friend’s house and then to the forest, when in fact she was hiding in the loft at her address in Debden, Essex, with her son. She had barricaded the loft hatch and pre-stocked the space with supplies. She joined the family court hearing remotely but intentionally kept her camera off.
As the hearing progressed and social workers and police began searching for the pair, Barnett’s car was found in Epping Forest, prompting a search involving helicopters and police dogs. Officers attended her address shortly before midnight and “heard the sound of a baby crying coming from the loft”, the judge said. A police officer tried to talk her down but at 12.16am on 9 November “the situation changed dramatically – in answer to a question from a police officer, you said ‘I killed him’”. Officers immediately forced entry and found Oakley unresponsive. Barnett had attempted to take her own life and was found with self-inflicted injuries.
Oakley was taken to hospital but died on 31 December 2024 after weeks in critical care. Barnett was found guilty of murder by a jury after an 18-day trial on 28 May 2026.
Family court context and background
The case exposes the difficult circumstances surrounding the family court proceedings that led to the tragedy. Barnett had five older children who had already been removed from her care because she was unable to look after them, according to her defence barrister, Jonathan Higgs KC. He said she was of previous good character. The judge acknowledged that Barnett has a “recognised mental health disorder”, described by experts as an emotionally unstable personality disorder, but stated that it did not excuse her actions.
The prosecution, led by Christopher Paxton KC, argued that Barnett killed Oakley to prevent him from being taken into care. The judge suggested she had rejected offers of help, wanting to keep Oakley close to carry out her plan. Detective Inspector James Holmes of Essex Police led the investigation. Oakley’s father, Jake Rose, expressed his devastation and heartbreak, saying he would never see his son grow up and that his life would forever have a void. Oakley’s family described him as a much-loved boy who “filled every room with light, laughter, and love”, with beautiful curly hair and huge blue eyes. They spoke of the deep grief and the ache of memories they would never make.
