A Liverpool mother who hid her pregnancy and killed her newborn baby 25 years ago has admitted to manslaughter due to severe post-natal depression.
Joanne Sharkey, 55, was only identified in 2023 when DNA testing linked her to the 1998 case of a baby boy found dead in woodland near Warrington. The discovery led to her arrest, which she later described as a “relief” after years of guilt.
Sharkey had concealed her pregnancy from her husband, Neil Sharkey, and their family. She gave birth alone in their Croxteth home, where she asphyxiated the newborn before placing his body in bin bags and dumping it near Gulliver’s World theme park.
Court reports revealed that forensic experts found tissue wads in the baby’s mouth, confirming his death by suffocation. Despite the initial murder charge, the court accepted her diminished responsibility plea after psychiatric reports confirmed extreme depression.
Her husband and son, Matthew Sharkey, now 28, stood by her, acknowledging her struggles but emphasizing that she had been an amazing mother. The defense argued that Sharkey had already suffered enough, having lived with guilt and shame for decades.
The court adjourned the sentencing hearing due to time constraints, with the final judgment expected at a later date.
