A WOMAN who admitted to killing her newborn by throwing the baby over the balcony of her flat has been sentenced.

Sarah Jayne Barron, 34 and formerly of Weston, was given a three-year community order at a hearing held in Bristol Crown Court today (Friday, July 14).

She has also been barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

A police investigation was opened after the baby’s body was discovered in a private garden in Weston on December 12, 2020.

Barron had previously denied a charge of murder but admitted the plea of infanticide when she was re-arraigned.

At a hearing on May 9, the court was told that the offence was committed on December 4, 2020, when Barron “caused the death of your child under 12 months by wilful act by throwing them over the balcony of your flat at the time you had not fully recovered from the effects of giving birth”.

Iain Jenkins, of the CPS South West Complex Casework Unit, added: “The CPS has a duty to keep cases under continuous review to ensure a defendant faces the most appropriate charge.

“We recently received new material in the form of two expert reports from independent medical professionals.

"These reports considered matters within the experts’ particular field of expertise and all the known facts, including the defendant’s health at the time of the offence.

“Following careful review of these reports, and working closely with our colleagues in MCIT, the CPS decided that the most appropriate charge in this case is infanticide rather than murder."

Barron, whose current address was withheld by the court, was released on conditional bail until she was sentenced.

Senior investigating officer, Supt Gary Haskins, said: “This was a tragic and complex incident which has had a profound impact on all those involved.

“It’s important the investigation and resulting proceedings were dealt with sensitively and proportionately by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) taking into account all the evidence gathered, including the expert medical reports, to achieve the most appropriate outcome in these very sad circumstances.”