A mother sobbed in court as she admitted murdering two of her children and conspiring to murder four more.

Sarah Barrass, 35, was told she could be jailed for the rest of her life after pleading guilty to the murders of 13-year-old Tristan Barrass and 14-year-old Blake Barrass.

Image: Police were called to a 'major incident' in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield in May

She also admitted conspiracy to murder six of her children, including Tristan and Blake, and five counts of attempted murder.

The attempted murder charges relate to four of her children, including Tristan and Blake.

Family member Brandon Machin, 37, also admitted the same charges.


Sitting in the dock at Sheffield Crown Court, Barrass cried as she pleaded guilty.

A security guard separated her from Machin, who remained impassive during the 20-minute hearing.

Judge Jeremy Richardson told the two defendants: "No words of mine can ever fully reflect the enormity of what you have both done.

"The crimes you have permitted quite frankly speak for themselves.

"The murder of two children, the attempted murder of four children and the overarching conspiracy to murder those children.

"I repeat: those crimes speak for themselves."

Barrass and Machin will be sentenced on 12 November.

The judge told them to expect "several terms of life imprisonment".

Police were called to a semi-detached property in Gregg House Road in the Shiregreen area of Sheffield on 24 May.

Officers said a "major incident" had happened in the house but have never indicated what they believe took place.

No details were given in court about what happened to the children inside the property.

South Yorkshire Police has never released the cause of the two boys' death and it was not given when an inquest was opened earlier this year.

The court heard that all of the surviving children are under the age of 13. They cannot be identified for legal reasons.