By GB News (World News) | Created at 2025-04-04 10:26:26 | Updated at 2025-04-05 10:15:28
1 day ago
A woman who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland has been given a suspended sentence.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility over the death of the baby boy, who was named Callum by police investigating his death in 1998.
His body was found by a dog walker close to Gulliver’s World theme park in Warrington, Cheshire, on March 14 that year.
Now, Sharkey has been given a two-year suspended prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility.
Joanne Sharkey was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court today
PA
Joanne Sharkey has been spared jail
Cheshire Constabulary
Hankin continued: "She told a work colleague and friend Amanda Harper she didn’t want any more children after Matthew. Nevertheless she became pregnant in the summer of 1997. She did not tell her husband."
The court heard that on March 12 1998, a man saw a young woman walking quickly out of the woods who looked “upset”.
The man walked into the woods near Gulliver’s World and saw a black bin bag lying on the ground to the left of the track but did not touch it, Hankin said. Two days later a dog walker saw the same bag, was curious about what was inside and punctured it with a stick to find the body of an infant inside, the judge was told.
Nina Grahame KC, defending Sharkey, said: "Her primary intent throughout was concealment. That had been her intent since she became aware she was pregnant. The primary intent was concealment on the day itself. The situation was unplanned, the giving birth was chaotic."
