Category: News

6 March 2025, 13:00 | Updated: 6 March 2025, 13:04

Here’s the real story about what happened to Tracey Taylor’s daughter Shelby Ann as the tragedy is portrayed in Netflix’s Toxic Town.

Toxic Town, written and created by Jack Thorne, tells the story of the Corby poisonings and the 2009 lawsuit against Corby Borough Council, including the heartbreaking story of Tracey Taylor and the death of her baby girl, Shelby, at just four-days-old.

The Netflix series is based on the true story of Susan McIntyre (played by Jodie Whittaker), Tracey Taylor (played by Aimee Lou Wood) and Maggie Mahon (played by Claudia Jessie), among others, whose children were born with disabilities and limb differences after they were exposed to toxic waste in the Corby area.

In Toxic Town, they dive into the heartbreaking story of Tracey Taylor whose daughter, Shelby Ann, died just days after being born, as well as the devastating blow that saw her excluded from the lawsuit over fears it could be singled out as a “flaw” in the claimants’ argument.

As people continue to delve into the true story of Toxic Town, here’s everything you need to know about Tracey’s story and what happened to Shelby.

What happened to Shelby?

Shelby Ann, who died when she was just four-days-old, was the first child of Tracey Taylor and her husband. Their baby girl is believed to have died as a result of the toxic waste that Tracey was exposed to in Corby while pregnant.

Tracey, who is played by Aimee Lou Wood in the Netflix series Toxic Town, relived the moments after she gave birth in an interview with the streaming service.

“Shelby was beautiful,” she said: “They wrapped her up and then gave her to me, and I gently pulled a piece of the blanket away because I wanted to see her face, and that’s when I noticed she’d got a deformed ear.

“They took her down to the special baby care unit and put her in, on oxygen, and that’s when and the doctor said, We honestly do think there’s something seriously wrong.”

Tracey went on: “We called our priest who had married us and asked him to come and baptise her and give her a blessing. And then they came back, took us into a room and they said, “Look, we’re really, really sorry, but unfortunately, she’s only got a two-chamber heart as opposed to a four-chamber heart. There’s blood being pumped straight into her lungs as opposed to her heart.”

Tracey and her husband asked if surgery was a possibility, however, the medical professionals told her that there was a 90 per cent chance she wouldn’t come out of the operation alive.

“We had to make the decision of, did we put her through that and any more pain? Or did we let her go?” she said.

After asking her mother and father to come to the hospital to meet their granddaughter, Tracey and her husband decided to take Shelby off of life support.

“If she lasted a little while, then we would give her the chance of going in to surgery and being operated on, knowing that there’d be many years of surgeries for her,” Tracey explained: “But if she went, at least she went in our arms lovingly, and she only lasted five minutes.”

Why were Tracey and Shelby left out of the lawsuit?

Tracey Taylor was one of the women who rallied alongside Susan McIntyre for justice following the discovery of the link between toxic waste and children born in the area with deformities, however, she was later removed from the case.

In heartbreaking scenes in Toxic Town, we see the moment their lawyer, Des Collins (played by Rory Kinnear), tells the grieving mother that she would not be part of the lawsuit, explaining that “her involvement could weaken the case” as Shelby was born without any “limb-related differences”. He explains that the prosecution could single her case out as a flaw in the claimants’ argument.

While Netflix’s Jack Thorne could have left Tracey’s story out of the series, he has explained why it was so important for her experience to be portrayed alongside the other affected mothers.

Thorne said that production research consultant, Meroë Candy, made the choice to include Tracey and Shelby’s story, explaining: “Lots of people would have just included the mothers that won the case, but [Candy]’s clever enough to know that breadth of the story was really important here. Tracey was interesting because of her exclusion from the case, which felt so important in telling these stories of justice.”

Aimee Lou Wood, who portrayed Tracey, said on the matter: “What’s amazing about Tracey’s story is that she wasn’t going through the same thing as the other mums. They all had to go through the horrible, gruelling court process too, of course, but the other mums still had their children with them, and Tracey didn’t have that.”

The actress went on to say: “She’s the one who worked at the factory, so she has really key evidence about the dust and what it was like to work there. So Des needs all of her information and needs her to talk about everything she’s been witness to, and she does it. She goes through all of that, pouring her heart out, knowing it isn’t even for her and Shelby, it’s for the other mums and children.”

Tracey has also spoken about her experience being excluded from the case, sharing: “When we were dropped as a case, it was upsetting. I still went to court, I gave my evidence, to help the other children, even though I was no longer a claimant.”

She added: “If anybody’s the hero of this story, it’s Shelby. Without her and what she gave up, obviously dying and being affected by the toxic waste, then I wouldn’t have been able to support and help these other mothers and children.”

Feyenoord star Igor Paixão will carefully consider his future this summer with Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest all interested in him.

That’s according to Soccer News, who have quotes from the player’s father today ahead of what is likely to be a busy summer for the forward.

Paixão has been impressing for Feyenoord this season, with eight goals and 13 assists in 37 games in all competitions and two goals and four assists in 11 games in the Champions League.

His performances in Europe’s top club competition haven’t gone unnoticed and he’s now being linked with clubs across Europe.

The Premier League has taken notice of him and Soccer News reports that Bournemouth, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest are all interested in a deal.

That would be a big step up for the 24-year-old, who only moved to the Netherlands from Coritiba in Brazil in 2022. He’s managed 29 goals and 23 assists in 119 games since and now appears ready for a step up again.

His father will be involved in that process, having advised him to ignore money in MLS and move to Feyenoord three years ago, and has a message for suitors such as Bournemouth, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest this summer.

“America was probably the best option in financial terms,” he said regarding the decision in 2022.

“But Igor was 22 at the time. He will certainly earn even more in the coming years, but money was certainly not the most important motivation then.

“We compared all the options, looked at what kind of club and what kind of city he would end up in. Feyenoord turned out to be the best option.

“Every player wants to play in one of the big leagues. But if we take a step after this season, it has to be a well-considered step. So that we don’t make a mistake and regret it in the future.”

A woman has admitted the manslaughter of her baby who was discovered in a bin bag in woodland 27 years ago.

Joanne Sharkey, 55, was due to face trial at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday accused of murdering a newborn baby, later named Callum, between March 8 and March 12 1998, but entered a guilty plea to manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

The baby boy’s body was found close to Gulliver’s World theme park in Warrington, Cheshire, on March 14 1998, by a dog walker, in a wooded area off Camp Road.

Cheshire Constabulary said Callum, who is believed to have been born full-term, had been discarded inside two knotted binbags and was discovered after the dog walker became curious as to what was in the bags and poked a hole in them with a stick.

At the time, the identity of the boy’s parents was unknown, but they were identified after an investigation by police that spanned two decades, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Sharkey, of Denham Close in West Derby, Liverpool, also pleaded guilty to attempting to conceal the birth of a child.

Prosecution barrister Jonas Hankin KC said all the elements of a diminished responsibility plea were supported by psychiatrists, the police, the CPS and counsel on both sides.

In plain terms, he said, the killing was “impossible to understand” in the absence of significant mental impairment, which had “substantially impaired her ability to form rational judgment and exercise self-control”.

Judge Mrs Justice Eady said: “I have read and reviewed the medical evidence in light of the test required for a defence of diminished responsibility and what is clear is that, given the unequivocal acceptance of the medical evidence, there could be no identifiable reason for a jury to reject that evidence so I approve the course you have outlined.”

Nina Grahame KC, defending Sharkey, asked for sentencing to be adjourned until March 21 so a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

Detectives named the infant Callum after the Callands district of Warrington where he was found dead, as his 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.”

Adam Till, from the CPS, said: “This has been a complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short.

“He would have been an adult today and it’s devastating to think of the life he could have had.

“The circumstances of his death have deeply affected everyone who has been involved in this case as well as the wider community.

“We carefully considered and accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter following a thorough review of the psychiatric reports and medical evidence.

“The evidence concluded that Sharkey’s mental state was significantly impaired at the time of the offence due to a medical condition which diminished her criminal responsibility.

“While the outcome of this case will never bring the baby back, we hope it brings a small measure of comfort to everyone who has been affected by this awful case.”

Cheshire Constabulary said a full DNA sample was taken from the baby, as well as from blood found on the binbags, but no match was found for either of his parents on the DNA database.

Despite DNA swabs being taken from people living locally, house-to-house inquiries, inquiries with hospitals, midwife services and GPs, as well as schools, a media campaign and anniversary appeals, Sharkey was not identified until a familial link between the baby and somebody who was related to him, who had been added to the police DNA database in the years since searches were last completed, was discovered.

Sharkey was arrested on July 28 2023 on suspicion of murder. No action was taken against the baby’s father because he had not known of the pregnancy, the birth, or the subsequent death.

Police say Sharkey had concealed her pregnancy, given birth at her home address and caused the death of the baby, who was found to have wads of tissue in his mouth and throat, in the following hours.

She then placed the baby’s body in bin bags and drove to the site in Warrington where she left him.

Sharkey was charged with murder and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child in April last year.

Following the guilty plea, Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, said: “Despite his life being cruelly cut short, he has not been forgotten, and his memory has lived on in the local area for the past few decades.

“While this guilty plea today will bring some closure to what has been a lengthy and complex investigation, ongoing for almost 30 years, the result will not bring back baby Callum who should have had his whole life ahead of him.”

Inside Bill Gates’ Family: The Powerhouse Parents Behind His Success

Bill Gates is widely known as the co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s richest people, but his success story began long before the rise of personal computing. His family, particularly his parents, played a crucial role in shaping his ambitions and instilling values that would define his career and philanthropic efforts.

Age: 69 years (born 28 October 1955)
Businesses: Co-founder of Microsoft, Founder of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Height: 5’10” (178 cm)
Net Worth: Approximately £85 billion ($104 billion)
Spouse: Formerly married to Melinda French Gates (divorced in 2021)

Who Were Bill Gates’ Parents?

Bill Gates was born William Henry Gates III on October 28, 1955, in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in a well-educated, accomplished family with deep roots in business, law, and philanthropy.

William H. Gates Sr.: A Respected Lawyer and Philanthropist

Bill Gates’ father, William H. Gates Sr. (1925-2020), was a prominent attorney and civic leader. He earned his law degree from the University of Washington after serving in World War II. Gates Sr. co-founded the prestigious law firm Preston Gates & Ellis, which later became part of K&L Gates, one of the largest law firms in the world.

Beyond his legal career, Gates Sr. was deeply involved in philanthropy. In 1994, he helped establish the William H. Gates Foundation, which later merged with the Gates Learning Foundation in 2000 to form the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable organizations in history.

Related: The Next Generation of Gates: What Are Bill Gates’ Kids Doing in 2025?

Related: Inside Bill Gates’ Stock Portfolio: His Top Investments and Their Value

Mary Maxwell Gates: A Trailblazing Businesswoman

Bill Gates’ mother, Mary Maxwell Gates (1929-1994), was a powerful figure in business and community service. She served on multiple corporate boards, including First Interstate BancSystem and KIRO-TV, but she is best known for her role on the board of United Way of America.

Mary was instrumental in connecting her son with IBM’s CEO John Opel, a connection that later helped Microsoft secure its pivotal deal to provide the operating system for IBM’s first personal computers.

She was a strong advocate for education and philanthropy, values that heavily influenced her son’s commitment to giving back later in life.

Did Bill Gates Grow Up With Money?

While Bill Gates came from a financially comfortable background, he was not born into extreme wealth. His family was part of Seattle’s upper middle class, enjoying privileges like private schooling and access to influential social circles, but they were not billionaires.

Gates attended the elite Lakeside School, where he had early exposure to computers. Recognizing his potential, his parents encouraged him to pursue his interests, even allowing him to skip math classes to spend more time programming.

Despite their financial stability, Gates’ parents instilled a strong work ethic in their children. His father was known for discipline and structure, while his mother encouraged business connections and philanthropy. This balance helped shape Gates into both a shrewd businessman and a dedicated philanthropist.

Related: The Bad Habits Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Mark Cuban Had to Ditch to Succeed

Related: What is the 5 hour rule that Bill Gates sticks to?

Was There Business Savvy in the Gates Family?

Yes, both of Bill Gates’ parents had significant business acumen.

• His father’s legal expertise and leadership in civic organizations gave Gates an understanding of strategy, contracts, and corporate structure.
• His mother’s corporate board experience and networking skills played a direct role in Microsoft’s early success.

While Gates is often credited with being a self-made billionaire, his family’s background in business, law, and philanthropy gave him early advantages that helped him navigate the corporate world.

The Gates Family’s Legacy

Bill Gates’ family tree is one of hard work, education, and philanthropy. His parents, though not billionaires, were highly successful and influential in their own right. Their values of giving back and fostering innovation continue to shape Gates’ legacy through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

While Gates’ genius and drive made Microsoft a success, it’s clear that his family’s guidance, resources, and business connections played a vital role in his journey.

Joanne Sharkey admitted killing the baby

Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have issued statements after a woman admitted killing ‘Baby Callum’ who was found dead in woodland in Warrington nearly 27 years ago.

Joanne Louise Sharkey, 54, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child, named ‘Baby Callum’, after the Callands district of Warrington in which his body was discovered, in 1998. She will be sentenced on March 21.

On March 14 1998, the body of a newborn baby boy was found by a local man out walking his dog with his young son in a wooded area off Camp Road, near to Gulliver’s World. The baby’s body had been discarded inside two binbags.

The baby was estimated to have been born at full term within a few days of his discovery but his identity, and that of his parents, was unknown.

Despite the efforts of police, a large media campaign, and anniversary media appeals in the following years, nothing led to the identification of the baby’s parents.

The case remained on the list of ‘cold’ cases for Cheshire Constabulary and was subject to regular reviews, including refreshed searches of the national Police DNA Database and further DNA analysis due to advances in science.

How police caught Joanne Sharkey

The current investigation by Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Review Team began in January 2022, and through further DNA analysis, the mother of the baby, Joanne Sharkey was identified.

She was arrested and charged with murder and concealing the birth of Baby Callum. She has today entered a guilty plea to the alternative offence of manslaughter by reasons of diminished responsibility at Liverpool Crown Court.

Following the guilty plea, Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, said: “The case of Baby Callum shocked the local community 27 years ago, with residents coming together to give him a proper funeral and try to help identify the person responsible for his death.

“Despite his life being cruelly cut short, he has not been forgotten, and his memory has lived on in the local area for the past few decades. Likewise, our efforts to locate who did this to him have not wavered and the case was subject to regular reviews and refreshed searches of the Police DNA Database.

“It was thanks to this that a familial DNA sample was identified, and following a thorough investigation and multiple enquiries, Sharkey was identified, arrested and later charged in relation to Baby Callum’s death.

“While this guilty plea today will bring some closure to what has been a lengthy and complex investigation, ongoing for almost 30 years, the result will not bring back Baby Callum who should have had his whole life ahead of him.

“I would like to thank the team of officers and staff across the entirety of this investigation whose dedication has meant someone has now been held accountable for an innocent baby’s death. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this case.”

Adam Till, a specialist prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This has been a complex case about a baby whose life was unfairly cut short. He would have been an adult today and it’s devastating to think of the life he could have had. The circumstances of his death have deeply affected everyone who has been involved in this case as well as the wider community.

“We carefully considered and accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter following a thorough review of the psychiatric reports and medical evidence. The evidence concluded that Sharkey’s mental state was significantly impaired at the time of the offence due to a medical condition which diminished her criminal responsibility.

“While the outcome of this case will never bring the baby back, we hope it brings a small measure of comfort to everyone who has been affected by this awful case.”

Sharkey, of Denham Close, Croxteth, Liverpool, will be sentenced on March 21.

Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, slammed critics for coming down hard on his son after the batter’s lacklustre performance in the Champions Trophy 2025. Babar was subjected to heavy criticism after he failed to live up to expectations in the tournament, scoring 87 runs from three games at an average of 43.50 and a strike-rate of 75.

Babar scored an 81-ball fifty against New Zealand, but had to face backlash for not being able to accelerate despite Pakistan chasing a massive target of 321 at the National Stadium in Karachi. He looked in good form in the match against India in Dubai, hitting five fours in his 23-run knock before Hardik Pandya accounted for his wicket.

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at Babar, saying that he was a ‘fraud’. Babar’s father said that his son would make a comeback with strong performances for the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

‘Stop the shouting and uproar’

Babar’s father was also not happy after the batter was dropped from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand tour. He requested ‘respected former players’ to ‘choose their words’ carefully.

“Boss is always right. Despite being a member and receiving the cap for the ICC T20 Team of the Year, he got droppedno worries. He will perform in the National T20 and PSL, Inshallah, and will soon be back in the team,” Babar’s father wrote in a post on Instagram.

Champions Trophy: Full Coverage | Points Table

“But I request the respected former players, who are big names, to choose their words carefully. If someone responds, they might not be able to handle it. You are the past, and your doors will never open again,” Babar said.

“Some people say the father speaks too much, but I am his first and last coach, spokesperson, mentor, and the most well-wisher and father in the world. So those who are not worthy or capable, should have patience.”

“I request the lovers of cricket to stop the shouting and uproar. Before listening to their words, please check their own performance during their time on the PCB website. This should be enough for the wise. Long live Pakistan!” Babar added.

Babar, in the meantime, also lost his No.1 ODI ranking to Shubman Gill, who has been in splendid form for the Indian team.

Tune In

Judge William Mousley KC ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared on the defendant and adjourned the case for sentencing on 2 May.

Charles Gabb, defending, said: “There is a detailed psychiatric report… and gives important information.”

The judge also imposed an interim driving ban on Roe with the disqualification period to be decided at the sentencing hearing.

She was released on conditional bail.

Following Zac’s death, his father Josh Roe said in a statement: “Words cannot describe the pain I’m feeling, my heart is broken. You are my little angel. I love you more than anything in this world, you are my best buddy.”

Grandfather Chris Roe said: “I just want to thank you for the wonderful and fun-filled memories we shared on your short journey of your life.”

Cynthia Williams is furious with U.S. House Republicans willing to slash Medicaid, the government-run insurance program for people with low incomes or disabilities.

The 61-year-old Anaheim resident cares for her adult daughter, who is blind, and for her sister, a military veteran with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. Medi-Cal, the state’s version of Medicaid, pays Williams to care for them, and she relies on that income, just as her sister and daughter depend on her.

“Let’s be real. We shouldn’t have to be here tonight,” Williams told a raucous standing-room crowd of over 200 people at a recent town hall. “We should be home, spending time with our loved ones and our families, but we’re here. And we’re here to fight, because when politicians try to take away our health care, we don’t have the option to sit back and let it happen.”

The House last week approved a Republican budget plan that could shrink Medicaid spending by $880 billion over 10 years, only partially paying for an extension of expiring tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term, plus some new ones he has promised, totaling as much as $4.5 trillion.

A spending cut of that magnitude would have a huge impact in California, with nearly 15 million people — more than a third of the population — on Medi-Cal. Over 60% of Medi-Cal’s $161 billion budget comes from Washington.

Williams was among about a dozen providers, patient advocates, disabled people, and family members who stood up one after the other to tell their stories. Rep. Young Kim, a Republican whose district includes this relatively affluent Orange County city, declined an invitation for her or a staff member to attend. But her constituents delivered their message loud and clear to her and the other Republicans in Congress: Hands off Medicaid.

Josephine Rios, a certified nursing assistant at a Kaiser Permanente surgical center in Irvine, said her 7-year-old grandson, Elijah, has received indispensable treatments through Medi-Cal, including a $5,000-a-month medication that controls his seizures, which can be life-threatening. Elijah, who has cerebral palsy, is among the more than 50% of California children covered by Medi-Cal.

“To cut Medicaid, Medi-Cal, that’s like saying he can’t live. He can’t thrive. He’s going to lie in bed and do nothing,” Rios said. “Who are they to judge who lives and who doesn’t?”

Two thirds of Californians across party lines oppose cuts to Medi-Cal, according to a new survey by the California Health Care Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago.

The town hall here was one of three organized late last month by “Fight for Our Health,” a coalition of health advocacy groups and unions, to target Republican House members whose California districts are considered politically competitive. The other two were in Bakersfield, part of which is represented by Rep. David Valadao, and Corona, home to Rep. Ken Calvert. Multiple other town halls and protests have sprung up across the country in recent weeks.

The coalition has reprised a campaign — part of a broader national movement — that fought against the GOP’s unsuccessful 2017 effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The Republicans’ loss of House control in the 2018 midterm elections has been widely attributed to their stance on health care. Valadao was among the GOP members who lost their seats in 2018, though he took his back two years later.

Still, he voted for the House budget proposal last week, despite the fact that about two-thirds of the population in his district is on Medicaid — the highest in the state — and even though he is one of eight GOP House members who sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson warning about the “serious consequences” of deep cuts to Medicaid. Valadao’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

Calvert, who’s been in the House for 32 years and eked out reelection last November, also voted for the budget, as did Kim. All nine GOP members of California’s congressional delegation supported it, as did all House Republicans except one.

Critics of the budget plan say it helps the rich at the expense of society’s most vulnerable — an argument that was vigorously repeated at the Tustin town hall. But supporters of the plan say that extending the tax cuts, key provisions of which are set to expire at the end of this year, would avoid a large tax hike for average Americans and benefit low-income families the most.

“American families are facing a massive tax increase unless Congress acts by the end of the year,” Calvert said in a statement to KFF Health News before the vote. He vowed the GOP would not touch Social Security or Medicare. He did not offer similar assurances on Medicaid, but said, “We are not interested in cutting the social and healthcare safety net for children, disabled, and low-income Americans. We are focused on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The document greenlit last Tuesday does not specify spending cut details, though it instructs the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicaid and Medicare spending, to cut $880 billion — a large chunk of the up to $2 trillion in total cuts. The GOP’s razor-thin majority means Johnson will have a narrow path to get a more detailed budget passed. Republican support, whether from fiscal hawks who want deeper spending cuts or House members worried about slashing Medicaid, could ebb and flow as the details are hashed out.

Moreover, the House must reach a compromise with the Senate, which has passed a much narrower budget resolution that leaves the big tax cuts out for now.

Like Kim, Valadao and Calvert declined invitations to attend or send staffers to the town hall meetings in their regions. At the Tustin meeting, multiple speakers chided Kim for her absence. At one point, the large screen behind the podium flashed a picture of an empty chair with the words, in large block letters, “Congresswoman Kim, we saved you a seat.”

Kim spokesperson Callie Strock said in an email that Kim and her local staff had preexisting commitments that night. She added that Kim is “committed to protecting and strengthening our health care system.”

But those in attendance were clearly worried.

“It’s a moral obligation for all of us to look at the most disadvantaged people in our country and take good care of them,” said Beth Martinko, whose 33-year-old son, Josh, has autism and relies on Medi-Cal for his care. “This has no place in politics.”

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation. 

This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF – the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

A woman has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of “Baby Callum” a baby boy whose body was discarded in binbags in Warrington 27 years ago.

Joanne Sharkey, of Denham Close, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to causing the death of ‘Baby Callum’, named after the Callands district of Warrington in which his body was discovered, in 1998.

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday 6 March 2025.
She will appear back at court on Friday 21 March for sentence.
At around 10.45am on 14 March 1998, the body of a newborn baby boy was found by a local man out walking his dog with his young son in a wooded area off Camp Road, near to Gulliver’s World.
The baby’s body had been discarded inside two knotted binbags and was discovered after the dog walker became curious as to what was in the bags and poked a hole in them with a stick.
Following the shocking discovery, help was sought from nearby Gulliver’s World and by chance a paediatrician happened to be present and confirmed the body to be a deceased baby boy. The baby was pronounced dead at 11.25am.
The baby was estimated to have been born at full term within a few days of his discovery, but his identity, and that of his parents, was unknown.
Due to findings at a post-mortem, Cheshire Constabulary launched a murder investigation.

A full DNA sample was taken from the baby, as well as from blood found on the binbags. This identified the DNA profile of the mother of the baby, however there was no match on the Police DNA Database for her. A partial DNA profile for the father was obtained, but again, there was no match on the DNA Database.
As part of the investigation, DNA swabs were taken from a large number of people living locally at the time, but none provided a match. Officers also carried out extensive house-to-house enquiries with hundreds of people being interviewed, enquiries with local hospitals, midwife services, GPs and other medical services, as well as schools, to identify any women or girls who may have given birth recently.
Despite the efforts of police, a large media campaign, and anniversary media appeals in the following years, nothing led to the identification of the baby’s parents.
The case had remained on the list of ‘cold’ cases for Cheshire Constabulary and was subject to regular reviews, including refreshed searches of the national Police DNA Database and further DNA analysis as advances in science were made.
The current investigation began in January 2022 as part of one of these reviews by Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Crime Review Team.

Through further DNA analysis, the mother of the baby, Joanne Sharkey, and the father were identified. This occurred via the identification of a familial link between the baby and somebody who was related to him, who had been added to the Police DNA Database in the years since searches were last completed. Familial DNA identifies samples which have familial similarities to the target sample, which can come from distant or close relations.
Sharkey and the baby’s father were arrested on 28 July 2023 on suspicion of murder. DNA samples were obtained which confirmed that they were the mother and father of the baby. Both were later released on bail while enquiries continued.
Following a thorough investigation, a decision was made to take no further action against the father, the case being that he was unaware of the pregnancy, the birth, or the subsequent death.
Sharkey was charged on 15 April 2024 with murder and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child.
It was determined that Sharkey had concealed her pregnancy, given birth at her home address and caused the death of the baby in the following hours. The baby was found to have wads of tissue in his mouth and throat.
Sharkey then placed the baby’s body within binbags and drove to the site in Warrington where she left him.
She has now entered a guilty plea to manslaughter which has been accepted by the prosecution based on psychiatric evidence.

Following the guilty plea, Detective Inspector Hannah Friend, said:“The case of Baby Callum shocked the local community 27 years ago, with residents coming together to give him a proper funeral and try to help identify the person responsible for his death.
“Despite his life being cruelly cut short, he has not been forgotten, and his memory has lived on in the local area for the past few decades. Likewise, our efforts to locate who did this to him have not wavered and the case was subject to regular reviews and refreshed searches of the Police DNA Database.
“It was thanks to this that a familial DNA sample was identified, and following a thorough investigation and multiple enquiries, Sharkey was identified, arrested and later charged in relation to Baby Callum’s death.
“While this guilty plea today will bring some closure to what has been a lengthy and complex investigation, ongoing for almost 30 years, the result will not bring back Baby Callum who should have had his whole life ahead of him.
“I would like to thank the team of officers and staff across the entirety of this investigation whose dedication has meant someone has now been held accountable for an innocent baby’s death. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this case.”

AFRICA/NIGERIA – Father Sylvester Okechukwu killed on Ash Wednesday, a few hours after his kidnapping

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) – A Catholic priest was kidnapped and then killed in northern Nigeria. He is Father Sylvester Okechukwu, parish priest of the church of St Mary Tachira, Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to the diocese of Kafanchan, Father Okechukwu was kidnapped in his residence in Tachira on March 4, 2025, between 9.15 pm and 9.40 pm. His lifeless body was found yesterday, March 5. “After being taken by his abductors, Fr Sylvester was cruelly killed in the early hours of today, the 5th of March 2025, Ash Wednesday. It is yet to be determined why he was killed,” said the statement signed by Father Jacob Shanet, Chancellor of the diocese of Kafanchan.

“This untimely and brutal loss has left us heartbroken and devastated. Fr Sylvester was a dedicated servant of God, who worked selflessly in the vineyard of the Lord, spreading the message of peace, love and hope. He was always available and accessible to his parishioners. His untimely death has left an indelible void within our diocesan family, and we share in the pain of his passing with his family, friends and all those who knew and loved him,” the statement continued.

“Let us come together as one family in prayer for the repose of his soul. We invite all priests, religious and the faithful, to offer Holy Masses, Rosaries and Prayers for the eternal repose of Fr Sylvester, who gave his life in service to God and humanity.

We wish to call on our youth and members of the Takad community to remain calm and steadfast in prayer,” the statement concluded.

The kidnapping of Father Okechukwu occurred just two days after another priest and a seminarian were kidnapped in Edo State in Nigeria (see Fides, 4/3/2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 6/3/2025)

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