Fatima Ali Pleads Guilty To Hiding Her Dead Baby In Garden

Woman Pleads Guilty To Burying Dead Baby In Garden

A woman has admitted trying to hide her dead baby in a garden.

Fatima Ali, 26, of Alfred Street, Bury, appeared at Bolton Crown Court 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 Monday September 6 2010.

Ali, wearing glasses, a black and white shawl and a black overcoat, 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 said: "This matter is adjourned for sentence on April 13 for the purposes of a psychiatric report to give some insight as to why you behaved as you did to your newborn infant.

"You must understand these are extremely serious offences and the court will have many options, including custody."

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.

Paramedics were called but the baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

A post-mortem examination could not determine the cause of her death.