Joanne Sharkey appears in court charged with murder of 'Baby Callum'
Patrick Edrich
"Baby Callum" was found near Gulliver's World in Warrington in March 1998
https://s.yimg.com/rz/l/favicon.ico
Yahoo News
A Liverpool woman has appeared in court charged with the murder of a baby boy discovered in woodland 26 years ago.

"Baby Callum" was discovered close to the Gulliver's World theme park in Warrington in March 1998. Joanne Sharkey, 54 and of Denham Close, West Derby, appeared today, Tuesday, April 16 charged with murder and concealment of the birth of a child.

Wearing a brown sweatshirt and with brown hair tied up in a short ponytail, she spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth and address, and appeared to be shaking as she stood in the dock. The defendant was remanded in custody and will appear before Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday.

READ MORE: Primary school friends were reunited in the pub but their night had a bloody ending

READ MORE: Pervert grandad turned up to court so drunk he fell over and couldn't be sentenced

Chairman of the magistrates bench Fraser Geekie said: "These proceedings are too serious for this court to deal with." The hearing lasted three minutes. Sharkey was arrested in July 2023 along with a man who has since been released without charge, Cheshire Police said.

Detectives named the infant Callum after the Callands district of Warrington where he was found dead, as his true identity could not be confirmed. A funeral service was arranged by local people and he was buried in Warrington Cemetery a few months later.

The headstone, which was paid for with money raised by local residents, was inscribed: “Baby Callum, precious child of God. Laid to rest July 27, 1998. With love, from the people of Warrington.”

Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, of Cheshire Police’s major crime review team, said: "I understand that this is an extremely emotional case which has attracted a lot of attention over the past 26 years, however I would ask people not to speculate.