Essex mum accused of murdering son ‘going through hell’

A mother accused of murdering her autistic son “must have been going through hell” but had not let anyone know her anxiety levels had worsened, her husband told a court.

Claire Button, 35, of Windstar Drive, South Ockendon, Essex, denies murdering five-year-old Lincoln at their home on 15 December 2024 but has admitted manslaughter.

Nicky Button, 34, told Basildon Crown Court that his wife “did everything” for Lincoln, who he described as a “high maintenance, [highly] demanding” child.

In a police interview shown to the jury, Mr Button said of the murder charge: “This is not Claire’s character, she was fighting demons, no-one had any idea.”

“This wasn’t pre-meditated over time – something happened to trigger an inner demon,” he said.

“No-one has a bad word to say about Claire. Sweetest person you’ll ever meet,” he added.

Ms Button told police during an interview on 21 December that she “killed her son”, but denies the charge of murder.

Mr Button came home from work on 15 December where he found the body of his son and his wife, who was surrounded by tablets and had injuries to her wrists, the jury heard.

A post-mortem examination of Lincoln’s body found no drugs in his system but smothering “could not be ruled out”, prosecutor Hannah Gladwell told the court.

Mr Button’s police interview detailed how his wife’s anxiety began at the start of the school summer holidays in July 2024, when Lincoln had just finished his first year at school.

“She would wake up anxious about what the day will bring, what Lincoln will demand out of her,” Mr Button said, describing how she would vomit most mornings out of stress.

She sought treatment and was put onto medication, which did help her initially until she went back to her GP during the October half-term school holiday asking for further mental health support.

Mr Button told the court his wife “catered to Lincoln’s needs“ and that “whatever he wanted, she would do”.

Lincoln was autistic and was behind in his development – he was also non-verbal, but he was described by his dad and his grandmother as having a love of trains, and being very attached to Ms Button. His dad said he was like her shadow.

Mr Button described how in the weeks leading up to his death, Lincoln had become “obsessed” with using his scooter and balance bike in the communal hallway of their block of flats.

He described his wife “getting dragged outside 15 times a day and if you don’t do it you get tantrums and lashing out”, saying later he believed she “needed more medication” and had not told anyone how she was really feeling in the weeks leading up to Lincoln’s death.

Video evidence given by Ms Button’s mother, Lisa Penfold, was also played to the court.

She described her daughter as someone who “had the best heart ever” and “hated getting into arguments”.

The trial continues.