A MUM who smothered her autistic five-year-old son to death before leaving a note claiming “he does not fit in the world” has been jailed.
Lincoln Button, five, was discovered dead at home in South Ockendon, Essex, by his dad Nicky when he returned home from work.
His mum Claire Button had placed a note next to his body that read “DNR – do not resuscitate” before trying to take her own life.
The 35-year-old also wrote another note, saying: “He [Lincoln] does not fit in the world and where he doesn’t fit I don’t either.”
Button has now been jailed for life with a minimum of nine years after she was yesterday convicted of murder.
Basildon Crown Court heard Lincoln had been diagnosed with autism and learning difficulties but loved going to his mainstream school.
He was also non-verbal and lived with developmental delay and ADHD.
The youngster lived at home with his mum and dad and was “part of a large network of family support”.
Button’s mum lived nearby and had qualified as a carer so that she could help look after Lincoln.
During the school summer holidays in 2024, Button was taken by her mum to a mental health unit where she was diagnosed with depression and given medication.
The court heard the medication “appeared to be having a positive effect” and by the time Lincoln returned to school, things had improved.
But each time another school break neared, Button began to struggle again.
On December 15 last year – the day of the murder – the mum said she began experiencing suicidal thoughts when Lincoln had a “meltdown” following a trip to Lidl.
She described hearing a “dark, deep, scary, demanding” voice in her head when they got home.
Little Lincoln took his mum by the hand because he wanted her to “watch the trains from the window”.
Just minutes later, Button smothered him to death.
She called 999 at 11.25am and told the operator she was about to “take an overdose”.
Although she was with her son at the time, she told the handler she was at home alone.
The 999 operator advised Button to wait with a friend as they “might not be able to get an ambulance to her for 10 hours”.
Lincoln’s dad returned home from work just before 3pm and tragically found his son dead.
He stood by Button during the trial, saying in an interview with police she had been “fighting demons” and was the “sweetest person you’ll ever meet”.
Button was taken to hospital after trying to take her own life and was later arrested on suspicion of murder.
Andrew Jackson, prosecuting, said: “It appears that the challenges of caring for an autistic child had caused the defendant to become depressed and she chose to murder her child.”
Mark Cotter KC, defending, said the medical evidence showed Button was suffering from an abnormality of mental function as a result of a recognised medical condition.
But prosecutors made the case that her level of mental illness did not meet the criteria for manslaughter.
