Mother Pleads Guilty to 1998 Killing of Newborn Found in Warrington Woodland

Joanne Sharkey admitted to manslaughter by diminished responsibility after a decades-long investigation identified her as the mother of Baby Callum.

The body of a newborn, later named Baby Callum, was discovered in Warrington woodland in 1998, wrapped in bin bags with wads of tissue in his mouth and throat.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, with medical evidence confirming her mental state was significantly impaired at the time.
Sharkey was identified in 2023 after a familial DNA match linked her to the baby during a cold case review, nearly 27 years after the incident.
The father of the baby was not charged, as he was unaware of the pregnancy, birth, or the death of Baby Callum.
Local residents had organized a funeral for Baby Callum in 1998, and the case deeply affected the Warrington community and investigators for decades.