A woman has admitted killing a baby boy who was found discarded in a black bin bag nearly 27 years ago.
The body of the baby, believed to be born at full term, was discovered on March 14, 1998, by a local dog walker in Warrington.
At the time, the identity of the boy’s parents was not known but they were identified after an investigation by the police that spanned over two decades.
Both the mother and father of the baby, as confirmed by DNA samples, were arrested in July 2023 on suspicion of murder.
The man was released without facing any charges, but the mother Joanne Sharkey, 55, of Denham Close, Liverpool, was charged with murder and concealing the birth of a baby.
At a hearing on Thursday at Liverpool Crown Court, Sharkey pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and concealing the birth of a child.
Adam Till, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This has been a complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short. 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.
“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.”
Sharkey will be sentenced on March 21, 2025.
