A 35-year-old woman, Claire Button, has been convicted of murdering her five-year-old son, Lincoln, at their home in South Ockendon, Essex, on 15 December before attempting to take her own life.

At Basildon Crown Court, she told jurors she had struggled with Lincoln’s behavior due to his autism, and experienced voices in her head saying, “we didn't belong in this world.”

Judge Samantha Leigh described the case as one of the most difficult she has presided over and scheduled sentencing for Friday.

Button broke down in tears when the jury returned a unanimous verdict after deliberating for eight hours and four minutes.

Lincoln’s body was discovered by his father, Nicky Button, when he returned home from work.

Throughout the trial, he stood by Claire, telling police that she had been “fighting demons” and was “the sweetest person you'll ever meet.”

Nicky Button explained that his wife had been diagnosed with depression in August 2024 and had struggled with Lincoln’s “high maintenance” nature, saying she had not revealed the full extent of her mental health struggles in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.

He described her as a “devoted” and “fantastic” mother.

Lincoln, a Year 1 pupil at Bonnygate Primary School, was non-verbal and lived with autism, developmental delay, and ADHD.

His mother said she began having suicidal thoughts after Lincoln had a “meltdown” following a trip to Lidl on the morning of 15 December.

She described hearing a “dark, deep, scary, demanding” voice in her head when they returned home,

After calling emergency services, she was told there would be a 10-hour wait for help, saying, “I just thought the ambulance service didn't want to help if they were going to take that long and the voice told me I had to go through with it.”

Button smothered her son and left a note that read: “He does not fit in the world and where he doesn't fit I don't either.”

She pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the jury rejected the lesser charge, arguing that her mental illness did not meet the threshold which requires substantial impairment of judgment and rationality.

During the trial, Lincoln was remembered by his father and grandmother as a child who loved trains and was very attached to his mother.

His grandmother said Claire “must have been going through hell” before the murder.