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A woman has pleaded guilty to killing a newborn baby whose body was discovered in woodland in Warrington in 1998.
The baby, subsequently named Callum, was found dead in a bin bag near Gulliver’s World theme park in the Cheshire town on 14 March 1998 by a dog walker in a wooded area off Camp Road.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, who was identified as the baby’s mother, was due to stand trial for his murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter with diminished responsibility over the death of the boy.
She also pleaded guilty to attempting to conceal the birth of a child.
A judge at Liverpool crown court accepted the plea based on medical evidence suggesting Sharkey’s “mental state was significantly impaired” at the time of the killing, which would have occurred between 8 and 12 March 1998.
The boy was found by a dog walker in a wooded area off Camp Road and was named Callum after the Callands district of Warrington where his body was discovered.
At the time, it was not possible to ascertain his true identity or who his parents were.
A funeral service was arranged by local people and he was buried in Warrington cemetery a few months later.
The headstone, which was paid for with money raised by local residents, was inscribed: “Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington.”
Sharkey was identified after a breakthrough in the cold case when a relative’s DNA gathered in an unrelated investigation in 2022 was linked to the crime, nearly 27 years after Callum was found.
A man also arrested at the same time as Sharkey but was released without charge.
The prosecution barrister, Jonas Hankin KC, said all the elements of a diminished responsibility plea were supported by psychiatrists, the police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and counsel on both sides.
In plain terms, he said, the killing was “impossible to understand” in the absence of significant mental impairment that had “substantially impaired her ability to form rational judgment and exercise self-control”.
The judge, Mrs Justice Eady, said: “I have read and reviewed the medical evidence in light of the test required for a defence of diminished responsibility and what is clear is that, given the unequivocal acceptance of the medical evidence, there could be no identifiable reason for a jury to reject that evidence so I approve the course you have outlined.”
Nina Grahame KC, defending Sharkey, asked for sentencing to be adjourned until 21 March so a pre-sentence report could be obtained.
Adam Till, from the CPS, described the case as complex.
“He would have been an adult today and it’s devastating to think of the life he could have had.
“The circumstances of his death have deeply affected everyone who has been involved in this case as well as the wider community.
“We carefully considered and accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter following a thorough review of the psychiatric reports and medical evidence.
“The evidence concluded that Sharkey’s mental state was significantly impaired at the time of the offence due to a medical condition which diminished her criminal responsibility.”
Till said he hoped the outcome would bring ‘“a small measure of comfort” to everyone affected.
Sharkey was bailed and will be sentenced on 21 March.
