Shiregreen murders: Tristan and Blake Barrass remembered seven years since deaths at hands of twisted parents
Half brother and sister Barrass and Machin hatched a plot to murder their children in fear of social services discovering their secret
Next month will mark the seventh anniversary since Sheffield brothers Tristan and Blake Barrass, aged 13 and 14, were murdered by their parents.
Their twisted parents Sarah Barrass, 35, and Brandon Machin, 39, who were half brother and sister, strangled the boys the day after a bid to poison them at their home on Gregg House Road, Shiregreen, failed.
Sheffield Crown Court heard during their sentencing hearing in November 2019 that Barrass strangled Tristan with her dressing gown cord before Machin strangled Blake with his hands on May 24, 2019.
They then put plastic bags over the boys' heads, suffocating them.
The monstruous pair, who had been in a secret sexual relationship for years, had six children together.
Barrass and Machin hatched a plot to kill them while “terrified” their secret would be found out by the authorities and the children would be taken into care.
On the morning of May 24 at around 7.30am police swarmed the north Sheffield estate, having received a call from Barrass.
The preceding evening Barrass tried to poison the four eldest children, forcing them to swallow ADHD medication however it was clear by the morning that the poisoning attempt had failed.
Online searches by Barrass which followed including killing methods such as suffocation, strangulation and drowning.
The pair then strangled the boys and placed bin bags over their heads to ensure their death, then ran a bath and repeatedly tried to drown one of the younger children. Tristen and Blake died later in hospital.
Barrass and Machin were jailed for life and each ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years behind bars, having admitted murder, conspiracy to murder all six of their children and five counts of attempted murder.
In February 2021 the house of horrors on Gregg House Road was demolished in preparation for a memorial garden to take its place.
At the time Shiregreen residents spoke of their upset living near to the site of the tragedy.
Nikki Walker said: “The house isn’t far from me and I’m glad to see it gone after what those vile creatures did to them poor lads.”
Lisa Kirk Taylor added: “I live about 10 houses up and every time I pass that house it brings it all back what happened and it’s really upsetting.
“It’s nice what they are doing but no matter what it will never be forgotten what happened there even though the house is gone.”
In August 2020 a serious case review concluded there was “no evidence” that agencies and professionals could have predicted the terrible events that unfolded the previous year.
The family had contact with a number of safeguarding agencies but the review found professionals assessed Barrass as a “loving, caring and competent mother”.