A mother has pleaded guilty to killing her newborn baby during a court hearing. Sarah Jayne Barron, 34, admitted killing the child after their body was found in a private garden.
During a brief hearing at Bristol Crown Court, Barron entered a guilty plea to one charge of infanticide. She admitted the plea when she was re-arraigned, after previously denying a charge of murder.
The case has been adjourned until a psychiatric report is prepared and will not go to trial, the Mirror reports.
The newborn baby's body was found on December 12, 2020, in a private garden in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, as a police investigation in the death was launched.
The court heard the offence was committed eight days prior on December 4, when Barron "caused the death of your child under 12 months by wilful act by throwing them over the balcony of your flat".
It was noted that at the time she had "not fully recovered from the effects of giving birth".
Infanticide is defined in law as the deliberate killing of a baby under one years old by their own mother.
Anna Vigars KC, prosecuting, told the court the plea was acceptable to the Crown and a trial will not be necessary.
Charles Row KC, defending Barron, asked for the case to be adjourned for the preparation of psychiatric reports.
Barron, whose current address was withheld by the court, was released on conditional bail until sentencing on July 14.
Judge Peter Blair KC, the Recorder of Bristol, told her: "The prosecution has indicated today your guilty plea to the alternative charge of infanticide is acceptable and therefore the trial listed for July 17 is to be vacated, as is the further case management hearing on June 15.
"The sentencing exercise will now be undertaken on July 14 and until then you will be on bail with conditions.
"The fact you have pleaded guilty will enable the judge to give you credit for your guilty plea and it will be for the judge to decide how much you will be given."
He added that he expected "considerable credit will be afforded" for her guilty plea.
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