‘Lovely’ mum with ‘immaculate’ home murdered baby son and buried him in woodland

Joanne Sharkey was charged with murdering ‘Baby Callum’ who was discovered in woodland in 1998.

A mum who murdered her son and buried him near a theme park has been described as a “lovely neighbour” who lives on a quiet residential street.

The body of the newborn, who came to be known as Baby Callum, was found in woodland close to Gulliver’s World in Warrington on March 14 1998, reports the ECHO.

Joanne Sharkey, of Denham Close in Liverpool, was charged with murdering the infant, who was believed to be a matter of hours old at the time of his death, and concealing the birth of a child in April 2024. The 56-year-old had been scheduled to face a trial at Liverpool Crown Court beginning today, Thursday.

However, when she appeared at Liverpool Crown Court, she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility, alongside concealing the birth of a child. An emotional Sharkey was barely audible from the dock, where she wore a white cardigan, as she was rearraigned this morning.

Neighbours of Sharkey – who she had lived alongside for the past 30 years – expressed their shock. Sharkey was a friendly face on the Close where she has lived with her husband since the homes were first built in 1991.

Ann, who lives across the road from Sharkey, told the ECHO how she was “lovely”. She said: “I knew her and her husband well, I remember them moving in after they got married. We socialised and we’d sit in the garden and have a drink together.

“She was a nice person. She would be out gardening and we would talk for half an hour or more, she was always lovely. We’re all just shocked.”

Following her arrest, Sharkey was seen on the Close. Ann explained how she wanted to ask if Sharkey was okay. She said: “It’s just awful. I know her husband well and I have just lost my husband. He would always come round and see him before he died.”

Another neighbour, who wishes to remain anonymous, echoed Ann. She said: “Normal, she [Sharkey] was a normal person. She was friendly, obsessed with doing her garden, she kept her house immaculate. We have known her for years and they have been good friends.”

Standing with his neighbour, another resident who also wanted to remain anonymous, added: “You could have blown me over with a feather when I read the news in the ECHO. My neighbour said to me ‘have I seen the news about Joanne?’ and I just thought they had got it wrong, that it wasn’t her, and then I saw that it said Denham Close and I couldn’t believe it.”

The neighbour told the ECHO that she had gone on nights out with Sharkey, while their children often played together on the peaceful, picturesque estate. According to neighbours, it was common for them to sit outside on the grassy patches in both the front and back gardens.

Each person on the estate spoke of their shock at the news, with a neighbour explaining how a Cheshire Police officer told her Sharkey’s husband was unaware of the death of her son. The infant’s body was discovered at around 10.45am on March 14, 27 years ago by a man who was out walking with his son and dog. He found two knotted bin bags in a wooded area off Camp Road, close to Gulliver’s World, and made the harrowing discovery after prodding a hole in the side of the bags.

The man then went to the nearby theme park where, by chance, a paediatrician was present. This doctor then pronounced the baby, who was full term and believed to have been born a few days previously, at 11.25am.

In spite of extensive house to house enquiries, the identity of Callum’s parents remained a mystery. Almost 500 DNA swabs were obtained from numerous residents and hundreds of people in the area being interviewed. Detectives also scoured hospitals, midwifery services, GPs, schools and other locations to identify any young females who may have recently given birth.

At the time, one witness reported seeing a distressed female leaving the area where the baby was discovered days beforehand, as well as noticing the bin bags in situ. This led to an artist’s impression of the suspect being created, but this too proved fruitless.

However, in 2022, a relative of Sharkey’s was added to the police national DNA database, leading to a breakthrough in the cold case and Sharkey being identified as the child’s mother. She and the child’s father, who already shared a 20-month-old son at the time of Baby Callum’s death, were arrested as a result on July 28 2023.

No further police action was taken against Sharkey’s husband. It has been claimed he was unaware of his wife’s pregnancy and the baby’s subsequent birth and death, with neighbours telling the ECHO they believe this to be the case.

Sharkey is believed to have given birth in the bathroom of her Denham Close home before, at 28 years old, killing her son and later driving to Warrington, where she abandoned his body. An inquest in 1998 initially reported his cause of death as asphyxiation, with a post-mortem revealing injuries to his head and neck, along with wads of tissue found in his mouth and throat. However, after a modern-day review of the case, his cause of death is now classified as “unascertained.”

Following her conviction, Cheshire Police shared footage of Sharkey’s arrest. She is seen in the clip, taken from a body worn camera, sitting on a sofa wearing pink pyjamas bearing the word “mum”.

The arresting officer tells her: “I’m not here to judge you and I’m not here to cause any unnecessary anguish for you, but we’re involved in an investigation regarding a baby who was found deceased in woodland on the outskirts of Warrington in 1998. I know what I’ve said may come as a huge shock to you and obviously causes you distress, but we are professional officers. We’re going to treat you with the utmost respect.”

Sharkey is the heard to say, in an apparent reference to her husband: “Can I just say? He doesn’t know anything”

Baby Callum was named after the Callands area of the Cheshire town where he was found, weighing 7lb 8oz. A funeral service was arranged by residents and attended by around 150 people, including the Mayor of Warrington.

The newborn was buried in Warrington Cemetery, being laid to rest in a white coffin surrounded by flowers and children’s toys following a ceremony at St Elphin’s Church. His headstone, which was paid for with money raised by members of the public, was inscribed: “Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington.”

Sharkey will return to be sentenced before the same court on March 21. High Court judge Mrs Justice Eady released her on conditional bail until this date, at which the defendant left the dock clutching a tissue.