Overview
- The judge sentenced Emma Barnett to life with a minimum term of about 22 years on Friday, June 5, after jurors found her guilty at Cambridge Crown Court.
- Prosecutors say Barnett fed her 14‑month‑old son Oakley a bottle laced with prescription drugs after a family court ordered his removal on November 8, 2024.
- Police found Barnett hiding in a loft at her home after her car was discovered at Epping Forest and she told officers, "I have killed him," before they forced entry.
- Forensic tests on two baby bottles recovered from the loft detected the antihistamine promethazine and the antidepressant mirtazapine and an expert said their combined sedative effect could cause respiratory collapse.
- The defence said Oakley’s death was accidental and that Barnett intended to harm herself when removal was imminent but the jury rejected that account; the judge noted she has a recognised personality disorder and five older children had been removed from her care, and Oakley’s family made moving impact statements at sentencing.