Sheffield Crown Court heard on February 2 how Leon Mathias, aged 34, of Stonebridge Lane, in Great Houghton, Barnsley, who was found guilty of murdering his nine-week-old baby son Hunter, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years before he can be considered for release.
After the judge – Mrs Justice Christina Lambert – said Hunter’s fatal head injury had been caused by shaking and she described Mathias’ behaviour as ‘truly horrifying’ and ‘grotesque’, The Star has been reflecting on the region’s most notorious child-killers who have been brought to justice.
Shocking cases include: a hammer-wielding killer who murdered his partner, her two children and one of their young friends; a man who murdered his partner’s toddler; and a killer couple who murdered two of their children in Sheffield.
Shocking cases include: a hammer-wielding killer who murdered his partner, her two children and one of their young friends; a man who murdered his partner’s toddler; and a killer couple who murdered two of their children in Sheffield.
![Half-brother and half-sister Brandon Machin and Sarah Barrass, pictured, who were in an incestuous relationship, killed two of their six children Tristan Barrass, aged 13, and his older brother Blake, aged 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard in November, 2019, how they strangled the teenagers before placing bin bags over their heads in their home on Gregg House Road, Shiregreen, Sheffield. They had also plotted to murder their other children by poisoning. They were handed life sentences and ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years behind bars after admitting the double murder and conspiring to murder all six children. Barrass and Machin, who were aged 35 and 39 respectively, during their sentencing in 2019, killed their children over fears they were at risk of being taken into care and that their relationship would be revealed.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjY2ODM2ZTY2LTBhZjYtNDIxOC05ODA3LWZhYmM3ODY0ZWE3Yzo2MGM3YzY1Zi1mNTM2LTRiYTctYmY2ZS1lYTRmYzNlN2NiZTI=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
5. Half-brother and half-sister Brandon Machin and Sarah Barrass, pictured,
Half-brother and half-sister Brandon Machin and Sarah Barrass, pictured, who were in an incestuous relationship, killed two of their six children Tristan Barrass, aged 13, and his older brother Blake, aged 14. Sheffield Crown Court heard in November, 2019, how they strangled the teenagers before placing bin bags over their heads in their home on Gregg House Road, Shiregreen, Sheffield. They had also plotted to murder their other children by poisoning. They were handed life sentences and ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years behind bars after admitting the double murder and conspiring to murder all six children. Barrass and Machin, who were aged 35 and 39 respectively, during their sentencing in 2019, killed their children over fears they were at risk of being taken into care and that their relationship would be revealed. Photo: SYP
![Pictured is Anton Shields, aged, 39 at the time of his sentencing, of Hardwick Crescent, Barnsley, who was sentenced to nine years of custody in October, 2020, after he admitted the manslaughter of his eight-week-old son Cody Shields-Holman. Sheffield Crown Court that the youngster was assaulted and suffered head injuries at a house in Bamford, Derbyshire, and was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital but died two days later.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjQ3N2FkODAzLTRhMGUtNGI4NS1iMDBiLWM0YjFjNWMyMDZkZTo2YTJmN2ZkZS01NWFhLTQ0MDQtODE2MS1kMWVlYjgxMDQwYjc=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
6. Anton Shields
Pictured is Anton Shields, aged, 39 at the time of his sentencing, of Hardwick Crescent, Barnsley, who was sentenced to nine years of custody in October, 2020, after he admitted the manslaughter of his eight-week-old son Cody Shields-Holman. Sheffield Crown Court that the youngster was assaulted and suffered head injuries at a house in Bamford, Derbyshire, and was taken to Sheffield Children’s Hospital but died two days later. Photo: SYP
![Pictured is Martin Johnson who was aged 20 when he was handed a life sentence at Sheffield Crown Court in February, 2019, and was ordered to spend a minimum of 19 years behind bars for murdering his 23-month-old stepdaughter in Sheffield. Johnson was found guilty of murdering of Sheffield toddler Erin Tomkins at the home he shared with her mother in Gleadless, Sheffield. During a three-week long trial, the court heard that in the three months Johnson had lived with the family, the toddler had suffered a broken arm, multiple back fractures and 27 separate bruises and finally a catastrophic and fatal head injury.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjcxOTliOWNiLWVhZDMtNGQwNy04OGVjLTI3YzYxNWQ4OTFjYjo1MjkwOTc5MS0wYTkyLTQwOTctYmViZS0xMjI2ODc5ZDYwNTg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
7. Martin Johnson
Pictured is Martin Johnson who was aged 20 when he was handed a life sentence at Sheffield Crown Court in February, 2019, and was ordered to spend a minimum of 19 years behind bars for murdering his 23-month-old stepdaughter in Sheffield. Johnson was found guilty of murdering of Sheffield toddler Erin Tomkins at the home he shared with her mother in Gleadless, Sheffield. During a three-week long trial, the court heard that in the three months Johnson had lived with the family, the toddler had suffered a broken arm, multiple back fractures and 27 separate bruises and finally a catastrophic and fatal head injury. Photo: SYP
![Pictured is Liam Foster who murdered his Sheffield partner's baby Leonie Lewis whose mutilated body was found by her mum on New Year's Day, in 2003. The youngster had more than 50 bruises and marks, and had been branded with a cigarette lighter, and a post mortem confirmed she had died from a blow or a series of blows to her head. Foster, of Spring Lane, Arbourthorne, Sheffield, was aged 24 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years of custody before he could be considered for release.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjUwMjZkZGM1LTM0OTUtNDMwYS1iOWYzLTQwZTFhNGIwYWZhMDowZWJkNDRmYi01NmFhLTRhMjItYTRjYy0zZDkwZmRhOTAzNTg=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
8. Liam Foster
Pictured is Liam Foster who murdered his Sheffield partner's baby Leonie Lewis whose mutilated body was found by her mum on New Year's Day, in 2003. The youngster had more than 50 bruises and marks, and had been branded with a cigarette lighter, and a post mortem confirmed she had died from a blow or a series of blows to her head. Foster, of Spring Lane, Arbourthorne, Sheffield, was aged 24 when he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years of custody before he could be considered for release. Photo: SYP