Evil mum who murdered her two boys, 13 and 14, moaned she needed a bigger house to control them
A MONSTER mum who murdered her two teen sons and tried to kill her other four children had moaned that she needed a bigger home to control the youngsters, it was revealed today.
Sarah Barrass and her half-brother Brandon Machin, who had six kids from an incestuous relationship, strangled tragic Blake, 14, and Tristan, 13, after the demand was ignored and she feared their sick secret would be exposed.
Evil Barrass had tried to poison all six of their children - but enlisted Machin to kill Blake and Tristan after her plot failed.
A serious review of the horrifying case by Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership released today revealed social workers had failed to spot the danger and thought Barrass was a "competent and caring" mum.
The report revealed she struggled to cope with the teens' behaviour and complained her three-bed council house was too small to keep her children apart.
Barrrass, 35, and Machin, 39, neither of whom worked, hid their illicit relationship from everyone, and lived apart - although he came over to help her with childcare every day.
The murderer mum and their kids had lived in the three-bed property in Sheffield for "many years", with six children sleeping in two of the rooms.
In interviews from prison, Barrass said she had wanted a bigger home to help "manage the situation" with her kids, but that she hadn't been given one.
The report, which cleared police, social services and other agencies of any failings, also said Barrass was 'anxious' about her half-brother being revealed as the children's dad when she hatched the plot to murder them.
Although she was asked about their paternity many times over the years, she refused to name the dad - even to the kids - saying only they had the same father and he wasn't involved in their care.
The review today heard one of the children had told a social worker their dad "died in the Second World War".
But days before the murders, a child protection investigation was launched - and Barrass began to believe her relationship with Machin would be revealed.
The investigation came after Tristan and Blake began displaying deviant behaviour, including Blake stealing his aunt's car and Tristan being caught with a bladed weapon.
And issues "escalated" in the weeks before the children's deaths.
Although social workers repeatedly reassured Barrass her children wouldn't be taken away from her, she 'didn't believe them', it was heard.
Barrass and Machin had been having sex together ever since their mid-teens.
The review heard love letters between the pair were found when Barrass was just 14 years old, and Machin was 18.
But Barrass denied the relationship and no further action was taken.
The couple managed to keep their relationship secret and had six children together, all of whom were under the age of 14 at the time of the murders.
In May last year, Barrass and Machin killed Blake and Tristan after searching the net for 'strangulation', 'suffocating' and 'drowning'.
The sick couple were jailed for life by a judge at Sheffield Crown Court.
Both must serve a minimum of 35 years behind bars.
Judge's horror as he hands sick couple life sentences
Barrass and Machin were sentenced by Judge Jeremy Richardson QC at Sheffield Crown Court. He told them:
"No words of mine can ever fully reflect the enormity of what you have both done.
"The crimes you have committed quite frankly speak for themselves.
The murder of two children.
"The attempted murder of four children and the over-arching conspiracy to murder those children.
"I repeat, those crimes speak for themselves."
The court was told how Barrass regularly told the kids: "I gave you life, I can take it away."
She and Machin first tried to kill the kids with a pills overdose at the family home in Sheffield, South Yorks., after telling them: "Mum knows best".
Overnight, Barrass wrote down funeral arrangements for the kids and even scrawled a note on the wall telling people not to go upstairs but to raise the alarm.
After killing Tristan and Blake, the pair tried to drown a third child before cops arrived to find Machin downing an energy drink in the sitting room.
Notes recovered from Barrass's phone read: "Brandon is the dad to all the kids.
"The pills didn't work so he's had me kill Tristan and he's killed Blake. I'm sat here with the other three.
"He's going to kill them then me."
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But in a harrowing police interview, Machin said he killed Blake and Barrass killed Tristan - but swapped victims and wrapped the bags around their heads to make "doubly sure" they were dead.
The independent review today found no significant failings by any agencies involved.
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David Ashcroft, independent chair of the safeguarding children's partnership, said: "There is no evidence we have identified through this review process that any practitioner or agency involved in this review could have predicted or in any way prevented actions taken by the children's parents."
