Loughton mother Emma Barnett guilty of killing son Oakley

A mother has been found guilty of murdering her 14-month-old son by feeding him a "deadly cocktail" of drugs before he could be taken into care. Emma Barnett, 36, of Loughton, Essex, was discovered hiding in her loft with her son Oakley after a family court hearing on 8 November 2024 that had determined he should be removed from her. He had been fatally poisoned and was taken to hospital, where he died weeks later, Cambridge Crown Court heard. Barnett, of Chester Road, had denied murder. She will be sentenced at the same court on 5 June. Essex Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) over its missing persons search for Oakley and Barnett. The IOPC said it had "identified potential learning" for the force. Essex Police said it had implemented its recommendations. Prosecutors said Barnett had also intended to kill herself and die with her son. After attending the family court hearing via an online link, she was reported missing, with suggestions she had taken Oakley to Epping Forest. Judge Mr Justice Derek Sweeting told the jury she later said in interview that she "wanted the police to think I was in the forest so I could stay indoors with Oakley".