Son of nurse killed in her home tells court of the moment he found her body

Mark Barrott, 55, is accused of murdering his wife Eileen Barrott at the couple's home on Naburn Fold, Whinmoor, on August 15, 2021.

Barrott would only plead guilty to Eileen’s manslaughter, on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The trial at Leeds Crown Court today heard a statement read out by their son, who arrived at the house to find his mum’s body on the sofa.

The statement, which was read out to court by the prosecution barrister, said their son had attended a work’s party the previous night, and had stayed at a friend’s house.

As he had agreed to go on a walk with Mark that day, he sent him a text asking if he still wanted to go, but got no response.

The court heard earlier this week that, during this time, a family friend had received a text from Mark, admitting to killing Eileen, and telling her to call an ambulance and police. The family friend then rang Eileen’s son.

“When I got the phone call, I nearly did not answer it,” the statement said.

“She said ‘I have received a weird text from your dad saying he has killed your mum’.

“[After she read out the text] I just thought ‘what?’ – I started feeling angry, I thought ‘he is just saying it, he has not done it’.

“[A friend] came with me to the house and I could feel myself getting more and more angry. I thought this was one of his mind games and he is doing it to get into my head.

"When we got there, I said ‘let me go in by myself’.”

The statement continued, saying he was angrily looking around the house for his dad, shouting for him to show himself. After checking the upstairs rooms, he went back downstairs and saw his mum's body on the sofa.

"It just clicked,” the statement said. “I just remember grabbing mum and shaking her and there was no response.

"The anger I had for [Mark] just went, and it was replaced by shock. I can’t describe the emotions.

"I felt like I could not stay in the house.”

He then left the house and called emergency services.

"They asked me to check her neck, and I said ‘I can’t go back in there’,” the statement continued.

It said his friend who had gone with him to the house went in and followed the instructions.

"Five minutes later, the paramedics turned up,” it stated. “[They] said ‘I am sorry your mum is dead’.

"I broke down and I was crying and crying and crying.

"I did not know what to do, what to feel or what to think.”

A short time later, his sister, who he had alerted after finding his mum, turned up in a taxi.

"I said ‘he has killed her’,” he said. “I remember her breaking down.

"I sat in my car and rang my granddad and told him what had happened.”

The trial continues.