A WOMAN has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a baby boy whose body was found discarded in black bin bags almost 27 years ago.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, of Denham Close, Liverpool, was initially charged with murder and concealing the birth of a baby.
However, at a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday, she pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and concealing the birth of a child.
"While the outcome of this case will never bring the baby back, we hope it brings a small measure of comfort to everyone who has been affected by this awful case," said Adam Till of the Crown Prosecution Service.
The body of the baby boy was discovered at around 10.45am on March 14, 1998 by a dog walker and his young son in a wooded area off Camp Road in Warrington, Cheshire.
The body had been discarded inside two knotted bin bags and was discovered after the dog walker became curious as to what was in the bags and poked a hole in them with a stick.
Following the shocking discovery, help was sought from the nearby Gulliver's World theme park.
By chance a paediatrician was present, who confirmed the body to be that of a deceased baby boy.
The infant was given the 'Baby Callum' after the Callands district of Warrington in which his body was discovered.
The baby was estimated to have been born at full term within a few days of his discovery but his identity, and that of his parents, was unknown.
Investigation
Due to findings at a post-mortem, Cheshire Constabulary launched a murder investigation.
A full DNA sample was taken from the baby, as well as from blood found on the bin bags.
This identified the DNA profile of the mother, however, there was no match on the DNA Database for her.
A partial DNA profile for the father was also obtained but again, there was no match on record.
As part of the investigation, DNA swabs were taken from a large number of people living locally at the time but none provided a match.
Officers also carried out extensive house-to-house enquiries with hundreds of people being interviewed.
They also spoke with local hospitals, midwife services, GPs and other medical services, as well as schools, to identify any women or girls who may have given birth around the time of the baby's discovery.
Despite these efforts, a large media campaign and anniversary appeals in the following years, nothing led to the identification of the baby's parents.
However, following a cold case review in 2022 and further DNA analysis, the mother and father of the baby were identified.
This was due to a familial link between the baby and somebody who was related to him, who had been added to the Police DNA Database in the years since searches were last completed.
Sharkey and the baby's father were arrested on July 28, 2023 on suspicion of murder.
DNA samples were obtained which confirmed that they were the mother and father of the baby.
The man was released without facing any charges but Sharkey was charged with murder and concealing the birth of a baby.
This week, she pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child
'Life he could have had'
"This has been a complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short," said Mr Till.
"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."
Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Hannah Friend of Cheshire Constabulary said police and the local community never gave up hope of uncovering the truth.
"The case of Baby Callum shocked the local community 27 years ago, with residents coming together to give him a proper funeral and try to help identify the person responsible for his death.," she said.
"Despite his life being cruelly cut short, he has not been forgotten and his memory has lived on in the local area for the past few decades.
"Likewise, our efforts to locate who did this to him have not wavered and the case was subject to regular reviews and refreshed searches of the Police DNA Database."
She added: "While this guilty plea today will bring some closure to what has been a lengthy and complex investigation, ongoing for almost 30 years, the result will not bring back Baby Callum, who should have had his whole life ahead of him."
Sharkey will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, March 21.
See More: Baby Callum, Cheshire Constabulary, Warrington
