Gonna grab a coffee and have a read 
I was living in Sheffield at the time this all broke out - the police took to SM to tell people to stop making death threats to the family at one stage. There was also another member of the immediate family who was frequently posting on FB about ( i think the person was the step brother to Sarah Barrass) . Then mum ( of the woman who poisoned her children ) appeared on fb as well further fuelling the fire. There were many many rumours ( and it was rumours) that the father of the three youngest children was the mum's brother ( blood) which is the reason she wanted to kill them, and that the reason they had become romantically involved was because of the incestuous relationship between Cersei & Jamie Lannister on the tv show GOT. This is also something that the step brother ( who kept posting comments on FB ) had alleged to be a fact. Mum ( of the poisoner ) did not confirm this though. Its also worth pointing out that the family are from a very rough area of Sheffield - not sure there would have been the same interest had they been from the leafy suburbs. It was a truly tragic and horrific event that went on for some time ( on SM at least). The police refused to release any details other than the absolute bare minimum due to concerns for other family members. In all my years on FB i have never witnessed anything like it.
I think there is a special place in hell for people who kill their own kids. Even animals don't do thisI was living in Sheffield at the time this all broke out - the police took to SM to tell people to stop making death threats to the family at one stage. There was also another member of the immediate family who was frequently posting on FB about ( i think the person was the step brother to Sarah Barrass) . Then mum ( of the woman who poisoned her children ) appeared on fb as well further fuelling the fire. There were many many rumours ( and it was rumours) that the father of the three youngest children was the mum's brother ( blood) which is the reason she wanted to kill them, and that the reason they had become romantically involved was because of the incestuous relationship between Cersei & Jamie Lannister on the tv show GOT. This is also something that the step brother ( who kept posting comments on FB ) had alleged to be a fact. Mum ( of the poisoner ) did not confirm this though. Its also worth pointing out that the family are from a very rough area of Sheffield - not sure there would have been the same interest had they been from the leafy suburbs. It was a truly tragic and horrific event that went on for some time ( on SM at least). The police refused to release any details other than the absolute bare minimum due to concerns for other family members. In all my years on FB i have never witnessed anything like it.
She was jailed at the end of 2019 i believe.
.Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin jailed for murdering sons
Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin murdered the two boys and conspired to kill their four other children.www.bbc.co.uk
If you want UK crime I really like the true crime enthusiast podcast
I listen to murder ones to make me run faster!!I love listening to murder/crime podcasts when running but it does mean that I'm too scared to run the forest tracks at the back of my house in the winter
I’m also into the court reporting live on newspaper websites and can relate to much of what you’ve mentioned.I've been fascinated with murder for as long as I can remember and I read and watch a huge amount of material on the subject.
Since I medically retired five years ago, my interest has only grown, especially with local newspapers reporting live from court on bigger cases and the ability to look at victims and defendants on social media, it's probably at obsessive levels now. In the UK, we don't actually find out the full details of the case until the first day of trial (which is absolutely how it should be) when the prosecution lay out their case but I do like to try and piece things together before then if I can. Social media is an absolutely goldmine for this. That's what interests me to be honest - people's relationships, interactions and motives.
The way I work is that I will read about a new murder on the BBC news website or maybe I'll see something on one of the local newspapers if I'm following a trial. I then have a look at Facebook and see if I can work out if it's likely to interest me. You can usually work out what kind of case it it - I'd say 85% of the time it will turn out to be drug related in some way. I'm particularly interested in cases involving the homeless community and vulnerable victims as I tend to feel these are the people that have been maybe forgotten in some way by society. I'm pretty hardened but those are the cases that really get to me and obviously child murders. I also really enjoy (if that's the right word) purely circumstantial cases and no body trials.
If it piques my interest, then it goes on my "trial calendar" (like I said, no judgement
I check court listings to keep track of my trials and read judge's full sentencing remarks once the case is over (they are usually published in high profile cases and are very illuminating) I also have a list of unsolved cases, missing people, cases waiting for charges to be brought and inquest outcomes which I check on periodically.
I only have one active trial I'm following at the moment, which is due to restart again tomorrow after the Christmas break, and I have one new one starting tomorrow which I suspect will turn out to be drugs related. The week after, I have six new trials scheduled to start! Happy to share details and discuss if anyone is interested.
As for TV, I love 24 Hours in Police Custody. There's a two part special on tomorrow and Tuesday about a trial I actually followed so I'm looking forward that. Also, I don't usually follow cases in Scotland (or Wales) - I'm busy enough with England - but I did follow a no body trial there involving a vulnerable victim with learning difficulites. There is a programme on BBC2 this week about it on Wednesday - Murder Trial: The Disappearance of Margaret Fleming.
ITV did a couple of really good real life crime dramas last year - Manhunt and A Confession - and have a new one starting on Wednesday called White House Farm about Jeremy Bamber. I think it will be interesting to see what slant they take on it given Bamber still proclaims his innocence. I'm not sure he is but I do believe his conviction is unsafe.
My favourite USA real life crime shows are:
Cold Justice
The First 48
Disappeared
On The Case with Paula Zahn
Shattered
Reasonable Doubt
48 Hours
Dateline
So, there you go. My obsession laid bare.
Let's get chatting
God how awful... those poor childrenI was living in Sheffield at the time this all broke out - the police took to SM to tell people to stop making death threats to the family at one stage. There was also another member of the immediate family who was frequently posting on FB about ( i think the person was the step brother to Sarah Barrass) . Then mum ( of the woman who poisoned her children ) appeared on fb as well further fuelling the fire. There were many many rumours ( and it was rumours) that the father of the three youngest children was the mum's brother ( blood) which is the reason she wanted to kill them, and that the reason they had become romantically involved was because of the incestuous relationship between Cersei & Jamie Lannister on the tv show GOT. This is also something that the step brother ( who kept posting comments on FB ) had alleged to be a fact. Mum ( of the poisoner ) did not confirm this though. Its also worth pointing out that the family are from a very rough area of Sheffield - not sure there would have been the same interest had they been from the leafy suburbs. It was a truly tragic and horrific event that went on for some time ( on SM at least). The police refused to release any details other than the absolute bare minimum due to concerns for other family members. In all my years on FB i have never witnessed anything like it.
She was jailed at the end of 2019 i believe.
.Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin jailed for murdering sons
Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin murdered the two boys and conspired to kill their four other children.www.bbc.co.uk
If anyone is interested in older UK crimes, this channel is excellent.
Neil Entwistle did this a few years back. He moved to America with his US-born wife, then shot her and his baby daughter.
Yes it is very difficult to understand the mentality of people who plan and attempt to murder their own children. Particularly because they drugged the boys first and then she looked for other ways to finish the job off. It beggars belief. What’s worse is that what was reported will be the tip of the iceberg. How they both live with themselves is anyone’s guess..
Through reading this thread I have subscribed to several podcasts ( this one included). Thanks for the recommendation
I read the Serious Case Review and it made me think about this differently.I was living in Sheffield at the time this all broke out - the police took to SM to tell people to stop making death threats to the family at one stage. There was also another member of the immediate family who was frequently posting on FB about ( i think the person was the step brother to Sarah Barrass) . Then mum ( of the woman who poisoned her children ) appeared on fb as well further fuelling the fire. There were many many rumours ( and it was rumours) that the father of the three youngest children was the mum's brother ( blood) which is the reason she wanted to kill them, and that the reason they had become romantically involved was because of the incestuous relationship between Cersei & Jamie Lannister on the tv show GOT. This is also something that the step brother ( who kept posting comments on FB ) had alleged to be a fact. Mum ( of the poisoner ) did not confirm this though. Its also worth pointing out that the family are from a very rough area of Sheffield - not sure there would have been the same interest had they been from the leafy suburbs. It was a truly tragic and horrific event that went on for some time ( on SM at least). The police refused to release any details other than the absolute bare minimum due to concerns for other family members. In all my years on FB i have never witnessed anything like it.
She was jailed at the end of 2019 i believe.
.Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin jailed for murdering sons
Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin murdered the two boys and conspired to kill their four other children.www.bbc.co.uk
I haven't read it but with the majority of cases there is always more to it. Things are never black and white and shades of grey are many and varied.
i always read SCRs - you can find them on the child services pages of county council websites. They are not an easy read but if you have an interest in the origins of crime they really help build a deep understanding of the dreadful lives some people lead.
I recently watched Murder on Middle Beach, it really was an interesting documentary. As soon as I saw the young man was covertly recording his police meetings, I knew that would backfire on him. However I did feel sorry for him, the whole family seemed very dysfunctional with so many potential suspects. He is probably the only one I didn't suspect
I live in South Yorkshire, I remember when this happened, extended family members starting bringing up the mums face book account and posts she repeatedly made about the children. Apparently she had spent years trying to have her children diagnosed with learning disabilities, but every time she was told the children were fine. Family members had stated she felt she would get more benefits if the children had diagnosed problems. She had posted some very strange comments and all this had been seen by family members. I totally agree that if this had been a more affluent and educated family, this would not have received as much attention.I was living in Sheffield at the time this all broke out - the police took to SM to tell people to stop making death threats to the family at one stage. There was also another member of the immediate family who was frequently posting on FB about ( i think the person was the step brother to Sarah Barrass) . Then mum ( of the woman who poisoned her children ) appeared on fb as well further fuelling the fire. There were many many rumours ( and it was rumours) that the father of the three youngest children was the mum's brother ( blood) which is the reason she wanted to kill them, and that the reason they had become romantically involved was because of the incestuous relationship between Cersei & Jamie Lannister on the tv show GOT. This is also something that the step brother ( who kept posting comments on FB ) had alleged to be a fact. Mum ( of the poisoner ) did not confirm this though. Its also worth pointing out that the family are from a very rough area of Sheffield - not sure there would have been the same interest had they been from the leafy suburbs. It was a truly tragic and horrific event that went on for some time ( on SM at least). The police refused to release any details other than the absolute bare minimum due to concerns for other family members. In all my years on FB i have never witnessed anything like it.
She was jailed at the end of 2019 i believe.
.Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin jailed for murdering sons
Sarah Barrass and Brandon Machin murdered the two boys and conspired to kill their four other children.www.bbc.co.uk
Entwistle said his wife had killed the baby, and then killed herself. No evidence of that exists.Neil Entwistle did this a few years back. He moved to America with his US-born wife, then shot her and his baby daughter.
'Low and despicable': Sex obsessed Briton who murdered his wife and baby is jailed for life
Neil Entwistle was jailed for life yesterday – after relatives of his victims said he condemned them to 'an eternity of emptiness'.www.dailymail.co.uk
He was moved to another prison and kept in solitary confinement after that episode.
