How mum’s visit to hospital ended with cops allegedly finding her dead newborn baby stuffed inside a freezer
- Monique Burton accused of hiding her dead baby in freezer
- Police say they found the baby after the mum was hospitalised
A mum who told doctors she did not have a baby despite having clear injuries from giving birth has faced court after she was accused of helping hide the dead newborn in a freezer.
Monique Ellen Burton, 32, is accused of putting the baby’s dead body in a plastic bag before her partner Shaun Balaam allegedly placed the child in the backyard freezer of their home in Geraldton, Western Australia, some time between August 20 and 25, 2022.
Ms Burton, who is charged with interfering with a corpse with intent to prevent or prejudice an investigation into circumstances surrounding a death, faced Geraldton Magistrates Court on Friday where her bail was continued.
Police previously alleged Ms Burton’s pregnancy was a secret and when the child was born dead, she and Mr Balaam hid the body in the freezer.
There is no indication the baby was killed and the couple are not accused of killing the child.
Police allege Monique Burton, 32, helped her partner Bradley Balaam hide the corpse of a dead newborn in a backyard freezer (stock image)
Police allege the pregnancy was a secret and the child was dead when it was born. There is no indication that the baby was killed
Detective Senior Sergeant Bruce McDonald previously told reporters police would allege Ms Burton gave birth at home around August 20 last year.
‘We allege the female placed the deceased child in a plastic bag and left the bag containing the deceased child in a bedroom at the house,’ he said.
‘Around this time, the male partner found the plastic bag . . . observed what was in it and placed it into a freezer in the backyard.’
Shortly after giving birth, Ms Burton went to Geraldton Health Campus feeling unwell.
Western Australia Police said officers were contacted after Ms Burton arrived at the hospital where she presented signs of someone who had recently given birth, an allegation she denies.
Police then followed up the concerns from workers at the hospital by investigating her Spalding home, where they located the baby’s body.
Western Australia Police say they were contacted after Burton arrived at the hospital where she presented signs of someone who had recently given birth, something Burton denies
Ms Burton is also facing 13 charges of gaining benefit by fraud and is accused of receiving and spending donations she gained by allegedly lying to people about having a terminal illness.
In February, 2021, a heavily pregnant Ms Burton took to Facebook to appeal for help after a painted rock was stolen from her car.
The rock had a portrait of her late 15-month-old son Kaiden Lee Balaam, who died in 2019 from an illness.
It also had a small poem painted on the back.
‘Sometimes love is for a moment. Sometimes love is for a lifetime. Sometimes a moment is a lifetime,’ it read.
She pleaded with the thieves on Facebook to return the item, saying it ‘doesn’t mean anything to anyone else’.
The couple both remain on bail and will next appear in court on April 13.
The painted rock, featuring Ms Burton’s late son, was in honour of the 15-month-old after he died from illness back in 2019
