A mother allegedly murdered her five-year-old autistic son after the 'challenges of caring' for him led to depression, a court has heard. Claire Button, 35, is accused of killing Lincoln Button at their home in South Ockendon, Essex, on 15 December last year.
Emergency services were called to Windstar Drive after Mrs Button's husband, Nicky, returned from work to find his son dead and his wife having attempted to take her own life. Mrs Button denies murder but has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, jurors heard.
Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said that 'what happened that day was a deliberate and unlawful act plainly done with the intention of killing Lincoln'. The court heard that during the 2024 summer holidays, Mrs Button was taken to a mental health unit at Basildon Hospital, diagnosed with depression, and prescribed medication which initially helped.
However, the October half-term brought a return of problems, and her condition deteriorated again as the Christmas holidays approached. On 14 December, CCTV showed Lincoln fixated on automatic doors at a Lidl supermarket. The next morning, Mrs Button briefly visited her mother and recounted the incident.
At 11:25am on 15 December, Mrs Button called 999, saying she was about to take an overdose. The call handler told her she might have to wait up to ten hours for an ambulance. Her husband made the tragic discovery shortly before 3pm, and Lincoln was pronounced dead at 3:55pm. Mrs Button was taken to hospital and later arrested on suspicion of murder.
