A mother who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland 25 years ago has been given a suspended prison sentence. Joanne Sharkey, 55, admitted responsibility over the death of the baby boy, who was named Callum by police investigating his death in 1998. Today, at Liverpool Crown Court, she was given a two-year prison sentence for manslaughter, suspended for two years. Report by Blairm. 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.