In March 1998, Joanne Sharkey, then 28, gave birth alone in her bathroom to a baby boy. At the time, she was suffering from severe postnatal depression, which significantly impaired her ability to make rational decisions. Tragically, the newborn did not survive. Sharkey placed the infant's body in bin bags and left them in a wooded area in Warrington. The case remained unsolved for over two decades until DNA evidence linked Sharkey to the infant in 2023. She subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and endeavoring to conceal the birth. On April 4, 2025, Mrs. Justice Eady sentenced her to two years in prison, suspended for two years, acknowledging her impaired mental state at the time of the offense. ​ Media Portrayal and the "Spared Jail" Narrative The media's characterisation of Sharkey as having been "spared jail" is both reductive and misleading. Such phrasing implies leniency and undermines the court's nuanced understanding of her mental he