Woman who threw her newborn baby over flat balcony avoids prison

A woman who threw her newborn baby over a flat balcony after giving birth has avoided prison after a court heard she was suffering from a psychological disorder.

The boy's body was found eight days later in a neighbour's garden in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Care home worker Sarah Jayne Barron pleaded guilty to infanticide and is said to have been in extreme denial about the pregnancy.

The 34-year-old gave birth on the toilet in the flat she shared with her partner.

The baby - later named Noah Taylor - died from head injuries after he was dropped 15ft (4.5 metres) in the December 2020 incident.

It's believed he lived for up to half an hour after the fall.

Barron didn't tell anyone about the pregnancy after developing a disorder that meant she "completely disassociated herself, mentally and physically" from it, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The judge, Mr Justice Linden, gave her a three-year community order with rehabilitation, and banned her from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Her plea of infanticide - a form of manslaughter - was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service after she was initially charged with murder.

Barron faced a possible life sentence but the judge said the case required "compassion, support and rehabilitation".

The court heard she initially denied having been pregnant but eventually admitted to police what she'd done - saying she was worried the baby was not her partner's.

Her partner, Phillip Taylor, was out buying her painkillers when she gave birth.

In a written statement, he called his son's death "the worst time of my life", adding: "If I'd known Sarah was pregnant or I'd come home in time to find she had given birth, I would have helped and supported her.

"Even though I've been through hell I want Sarah to get the help she needs."

'Utterly detached from reality'

Defence barrister Charles Row KC said Barron was homeless for a while in 2019 and had started taking anti-depressants.

She then started a relationship with Mr Taylor and moved in with him just before the first COVID lockdown.

Mr Row said Barron had been under huge stress doing night shifts for £8.72 per hour during the pandemic.

He told the court: "She appears to have been utterly detached from the reality of her situation.

"In her mind she created the narrative of a miscarriage. It was out of sight, out of mind. She carried on almost as normal and went back to work.

"She remains in an emotionally fragile state - the trauma of what she did still not fully realised by her. She still can't come to terms with what she's done."

'State of extreme shock'

Two psychiatrists said Barron was suffering a "classic case" of pervasive pregnancy denial and had a low IQ with a reading age of 10-12.

The judge said Barron had been in "a state of extreme shock and you panicked" when she gave birth.

However, he added: "Noah's life and his suffering should not be forgotten. But the mitigation in this case, as in most cases of this type, is powerful."