Woman admits manslaughter of baby found in woodland 27 years ago
A woman has admitted killing a baby boy who was found discarded in a black bin bag in Warrington near Gulliver’s World nearly 27 years ago.
The body of the baby boy, believed to be born at full term, was discovered on 14 March 1998 by a local dog walker.
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 on 28 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 today (Thursday, 6 March 2025) at Liverpool Crown Court, Joanne 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 CPS 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.”
Joanne Sharkey will be sentenced on 21 March 2025.
Notes to editors
- Joanne Louise Sharkey (DOB: 2 May 1969) pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child, contrary to section 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
- The medical evidence concluded that Sharkey was suffering from an abnormality of mental functioning at the time of the offence arising out of a medical condition and this abnormality substantially impaired her ability to form a rational judgement and to exercise self-control. This caused or was a significant contributory factor in causing her to kill her newborn child.
- Adam Till is a Specialist Prosecutor at CPS West Midlands.