Mum hid pregnancy until partner found newborn's body in bag behind sofa
A woman claimed to have a liver condition in a bid to hide her pregnancy - before giving birth and hiding the newborn's dead body in a plastic bag behind the sofa.
Monique Ellen Burton, 35, admitted to interfering with a corpse when she appeared at Geraldton Magistrates Court in Western Australia last November. She returned to Perth District Court this week to be sentenced over the harrowing case, reports the Mirror.
The court was told Burton gave birth to a baby boy in August 2022, claiming he was stillborn. But an investigation was unable to determine whether the child had ever shown signs of life.
Burton's partner, Shaun Bradley Balaam, found the tiny infant's body stuffed in a plastic bag and believed it was a baby due to the shape, but instead of calling for help, he placed it in a chest freezer in their garden in Geraldton.
The grim discovery only came to light after Burton turned up at hospital and doctors realised she had recently given birth. Cops were called and a full search of the home uncovered the child, reports ABC News.
Defence lawyer Anthony Elliot said his client had long-standing emotional issues around pregnancy. A psychological report presented in court said Burton suffers from adjustment disorder, depressive episodes, anxiety, grief, and relationship struggles.
Prosecutor Jehna Winter told the court Burton had managed to hide the pregnancy from everyone, including her long-term partner, doctors and authorities. When her stomach began to swell, she claimed she was suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.
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Alongside the corpse charge, Burton is also facing 11 counts of fraud after allegedly setting up a fake fundraiser for a non-existent illness - pocketing AU$560 (£272) from concerned friends, relatives and good samaritans.
The day after the secret birth, Balaam found Burton - his partner of 14 years - pale and covered in blood in the bathroom.
She was rushed to hospital, where medics flagged signs of postnatal depression. But when questioned, Burton denied ever having had a baby.
While she remained in hospital, Balaam went back to the house to search for a lost mobile phone and stumbled across the baby's remains.
He didn't open the bag but suspected it was a baby, recalling that Burton had hidden previous pregnancies from him too.
He wrapped the bag inside another one and placed it in the freezer, telling authorities he thought he was handling it the same way a morgue would.
Even after being flown to King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, Burton continued to deny giving birth.
"I don't know what is wrong with me," she told hospital staff. Cops searched the property and found the baby in the freezer. She was arrested in January 2024, and told police she couldn't remember what happened - adding that she thought it was a dream.
Her sentencing is due to be carried out later today at Perth District Court.
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