Overview

• Claire Button, 35, is being tried at Basildon Crown Court for the alleged murder of her son, Lincoln Brookes, who was found dead at the family home in South Ockendon on December 15, 2024.
• Prosecutors allege she smothered Lincoln and left a sign reading “DNR — do not resuscitate,” along with a note stating he did not fit in the world.
• Button denies murder, and jurors were told she had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in earlier proceedings.
• Court presentations detailed a 999 call that morning in which Button said she was about to take an overdose, an operator warned an ambulance could be delayed for hours, and Lincoln’s father later found the child before paramedics declared him deceased at 3:55 p.m.
• Background outlined to jurors included Button’s 2024 depression diagnosis and treatment, reported relapses around school breaks, a strong family support network, and CCTV from a LIDL visit the day before Lincoln’s death.