Monique Burton allegedly hid dead baby in freezer in Geraldton, Western Australia as she faces court
How mom’s visit to the hospital ended when police reportedly found her dead newborn in a freezer
- Monique Burton accused of hiding her dead baby in the freezer
- Police say they found the baby after the mother was hospitalized
A mother who told doctors she wasn’t having a baby despite obvious injuries in childbirth has gone to court after being accused of helping to hide the dead newborn in a freezer.
Monique Ellen Burton, 32, is accused of putting the baby’s corpse in a plastic bag before her partner Shaun Balaam placed the child in the freezer in the backyard of their home in Geraldton, Western Australia, sometime between August 20 and 25, 2022 would have posted.
Ms Burton, accused of interfering with a corpse with the intent to prevent or prejudice an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a death, appeared before Geraldton Magistrates Court on Friday, where her bail continued.
Police previously claimed that Ms Burton’s pregnancy was a secret and when the child was stillborn, she and Mr Balaam hid the body in the freezer.
There is no evidence that 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 claim the pregnancy was secret and the child was dead when it was born. There’s no evidence that the baby was murdered
Detective Senior Sergeant Bruce McDonald previously told reporters that police would claim Ms Burton gave birth at home around August 20 last year.
“We claim that the woman put the deceased child in a plastic bag and left the bag with the deceased child in a bedroom near the house,” he said.
“About this time, the male partner found the plastic bag. . . looked at what was in it and put it in a freezer in the backyard.’
Shortly after giving birth, Ms. Burton went to the Geraldton Health Campus unwell.
Western Australia Police said officers were contacted after Ms Burton arrived at hospital where she showed signs of someone who had recently given birth, a claim she denies.
Police then followed up on the concerns of hospital staff by investigating her home in Spalding, where they found the baby’s body.
Western Australia Police say they were contacted after Burton arrived at hospital where she showed signs of someone who had recently given birth, something Burton denies
Ms Burton also faces 13 charges of obtaining benefit through fraud and is accused of receiving and spending donations she obtained by allegedly lying to people about having a terminal illness.
In February 2021, a heavily pregnant Mrs Burton took to Facebook to call for help after a painted brick was stolen from her car.
The rock featured a portrait of her late 15-month-old son Kaiden Lee Balaam, who died of an illness in 2019.
There was also a small poem painted on the back.
Sometimes love is temporary. Sometimes love is for life. Sometimes a moment is a lifetime.”
She begged the thieves on Facebook to return the item, saying it “means nothing to anyone else.”
The couple both remain free on bail and will appear in court on April 13.
The painted rock, featuring Mrs Burton’s late son, was in honor of the 15-month-old baby after he died of illness in 2019