Police release first pictures of murdered Sheffield brothers

Tristan Barrass, 13, and Blake Barrass, 14, were strangled to death, before having bin bags placed over their heads, in a property in Gregg House Road, Shiregreen, on Friday, May 24.

Their mother Sarah Barrass, aged 35, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 35 years at Sheffield Crown Court today after earlier admitting murdering her two sons and conspiring to murder her four other children, all of whom are under the age of 14.

Brandon Machin, 39, who is Barrass’ half brother and the father of all six of her children, was also handed a life sentence after admitting the same offences.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how, prior to the killings, the pair had concocted a plan to kill their children before Barrass would kill herself.

The plan was then for Machin to discover what had happened and raise the alarm.

On the evening of 23 May, the pair started to put the plan into action forcing four of their children - including Tristan and Blake – to take tablets.

Barrass and Machin also tried to kill one child by attempting to drown them in a bath.

Prosecutors told how Barrass had requested help with the children from the local authority with the children, texting a friend to say: "I've thought of every possible solution to this mess. Mass murder, putting them all in care, checking in to the local nut house.”