A mother who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland only to be arrested 25 years later has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Outside court, Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, from Cheshire Police, said: “The case of Baby Callum has stayed with the local community for 27 years; he has never been forgotten, and his memory has lived on in the area ever since." Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you don't mention when questioned
00:04something which you later rely on in court, and anything you do say may be given in evidence.
00:09I'm not here to judge you, and I'm not here to cause any unnecessary confusion,
00:15but we're involved in an investigation.
00:30You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you don't mention when questioned
00:33something which you later rely on in court, and anything you do say may be given in evidence.
01:00It is, however, agreed by the experts that your mental ill-health substantially impaired your ability
01:16to form a rational judgement and exercise self-control.
01:20There is no evidence of premeditation, and nothing else can explain your actions
01:26other than this abnormality in your mental functioning.
01:29You had carried this with you the whole time, thinking about it every day.
01:35Your police interviews were characterised by your admissions,
01:40albeit you were unable to recall many details,
01:43and you spoke of your relief that this had finally come out,
01:47of how you had been haunted by what you had done.
01:52Today, we think of Callum, a precious baby boy who was taken into the hearts of the Warrington community
01:59after he was killed by his mother in the most devastating circumstances.
02:03I think particularly post-natal depression in this case is so damaging.
02:09I just encourage anybody who's feeling not themselves to go and get help.
02:13We never want cases like this to happen.
02:21Thank you for having me, and I'm confident that you've made another one for a great day.
02:26It says, with love, from the people of Warrington.