Bury News
Mum admits trying to hide her dead baby
9:15am Thursday 16th February 2012
A WOMAN has admitted trying to hide her dead baby in a garden.
Fatima Ali, aged 26, of Alfred Street, Bury, appeared at Bolton Crown Court on Monday charged with cruelty to a person under 16 and endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child.
The charges relate to the discovery of a baby girl’s body wrapped in a shawl outside a house in Tinline Street, Bury, on September 6, 2010.
Ali pleaded guilty to both offences.
The court heard that the first offence of cruelty related to the defendant not seeking “prompt medical attention” when the baby was born.
The court heard there was no evidence of assault or ill-treatment on the baby, named in court as Malaikah Dua Hussain.
Lisa Roberts, defending, said: “Within two hours or so the child had died. There were no signs of injury. The defendant accepts that in failing to seek medical attention for the child that the child subsequently died.”
Miss Roberts said there was “a story to tell” and a background to what happened which would be told when Ali is sentenced.
Judge Maureen Roddy adjourned the case to April 13 for sentencing to allow a psychological report to be carried out. She said this might give some insight into Ali’s behaviours to her newborn infant.
The judge told Ali: “You must understand these are extremely serious offences and all options, including custody, will be under consideration.”
When the baby’s body was found, police named her Aliyah, meaning beautiful in Arabic, while they undertook an investigation to find her mother.
She was wrapped in a black and pink zebra print scarf when she was discovered by a member of the public.
She had been carefully placed over the wall of the front garden of the property in Tinline Street, a short distance from Ali’s home.
Paramedics were called but the baby was pronounced dead at the scene.
A post-mortem examination could not determine the cause of her death.