GUILTY UK - Blake, 14 & Tristan Barrass, 13, dead, 4 hospitalized, Sheffield, May 2019 *Arrests*

[mrazda71]

The guy who killed his partner (ex Eastenders actress) and their 2 children, buried them in the garden then fled to Ghana, Arthur Simpson-Kent ... He got a whole life sentence and I feel like this is far worse!

I am probably more understanding than most when her childhood is used in mitigation.
Yes, you'd think that if you had a rubbish childhood you'd want better for your own children but you'd have to know what better was, it's hard to do better if you don't know/see/experience any better ( before anyone jumps on me, I'm in NO way making excuses for her, just trying to understand) ...

That all said, this is just too horrific and I really feel like they MUST get a whole life sentence.

 

[Joolz1975]

A crap childhood is no excuse for what she did to those kids.

Plenty of people have crap childhoods but go on to be exceptional parents themselves.

Really hope it is a whole life order, anything less isnt justice.

How can those poor kids function knowing their own mum tried to kill them all.

Actually think it is one of the worst things I have ever read about.

 

[Joolz1975]

Wonder why she called the police? Regret? Realised that she was in serious bother and hoped to pin it on Brandon?

 

[starcrossx]

******* hell !!!! He cannot be serious.

I agree with you that this is a very serious case, but I'm wondering what the criteria is for whole life tariffs. I think he might be going for the angle that other people who got the whole life tariff were considered dangerous to the public and Barrass is not. But I think she is a high danger to her surviving kids and should be given the full life tariff.

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
49s

Back to the mitigation now. Referring to the documents before the judge, Mr Cox said: “It is self evident that she experienced a chronically traumatic childhood...

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
23s

“There is documented evidence that over many, many years she was subjected to sustained neglect and emotional, physical, and importantly, sexual abuse. This persisted for many, many years throughout her childhood and adolescence,” Mr Cox said.

 

[Sarahlou]

Nothing excuses what they did. Nothing.

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
53s

Mr Cox is now going through the social work records which detail their involvement and numerous interventions during Barrass’ childhood while she lived with her mother.

 

[Blondiexoxo]

They’re basically saying she’s not a serial killer. If given a whole life tariff I think she’d be the first female who’s not a serial killer to get one. Off the top of my head there’s Hindley, West and Dennehy, all serial killers. Plenty of men who’ve killed 1 person are serving whole life orders though, so she’s not off the hook just because she’s not a serial killer. If by some fluke she’d got away with killing the two boys there’s no doubt in my mind the other 4 would’ve been next. Thus, making her a serial killer. So yes, whole life order please.

 

[Legally Bland]

Nice to see the judge cutting through this and getting straight to the point.
_____________

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
49s

Mr Justice Goss has just interrupted Mr Cox and told him that ‘no-one is disputing that this was a desolate childhood’ adding that he is more interested in the conclusions of the medical experts on how these experiences affected her behaviour when she committed these offences.

 

[Alyce]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
53s

Mr Cox is now going through the social work records which detail their involvement and numerous interventions during Barrass’ childhood while she lived with her mother.

Begs the question, why was SB left to be brought up by her mother if things were so bad and there was evidence of this ?

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
48s

Mr Cox is now referring to a psychiatric report which states: “She has a strong belief that she was treated unfairly and people should not be trusted.”

 

[Edinlass]

Poor you. Monster!!

 

[Blondiexoxo]

Her own children have had traumatic childhoods now because of her actions. No excuse for leniency

 

[Legally Bland]

I take it this means there's no meaningful psychological mitigation?
___________

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
18s

Mr Justice Goss summarised: “What the psychiatrist is saying is that she has traits which may mean she has a personality disorder, but it is not helpful to understand her case through the framework of a personality disorder.”

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
35s

Mr Cox is continuing to argue along the line of argument about the possibility of Barrass having a personality disorder. Mr Justice Goss replied: “You are saying that she is suffering from a mental disorder, I have no medical evidence of that.”

 

[Rosegold68]

if it was all that bad, so so traumatic that this behaviour is the result then it kind of begs the question as to why there was no effective social work interventions

 

[Legally Bland]

Sarah Marshall

@SarahMarshallJP
·
1m

Mr Cox has just stated that there is a possibility that Barrass may be on the autism spectrum, to which Mr Justice Goss responds by saying (again) that this is a claim for which there is no medical evidence.

 

[Edinlass]

Excuses, Excuses - if it were me I’d grant her surviving child’s wish and send her away for 300 years!

 

[Blondiexoxo]

Must not have been able to find a single psychiatrist who would diagnose her with a PD. Either that or she was diagnosed with a ‘narcissistic personality disorder’ which really wouldn’t do her defence any favours. I’m surprised they haven’t tried to pluck a PTSD diagnosis or something of the like out of thin air to try to gain sympathy for her.