Couple 'starved baby to death before burying him in shallow grave in park and denying he existed'

A Bolton couple are accused of killing their baby boy after failing to feed or clothe him before burying him naked in a shoe box in a shallow grave.

Anthony Clark, 35, and Catherine Davies, 25, both deny murdering the boy in August 2016 at their home in Greater Manchester.

Clarke has admitted concealing the birth of a child, an offence Davies denies at Manchester Crown Court.

The court heard the prosecution say that the baby had been dehydrated and starved to death just four days after he was born.

The pair allegedly put the dead child in a shoe box, which was wrapped in Sellotape, before burying him in a shallow grave at Heaton Cemetery at night, reported the Daily Mail.

It is alleged that Davies kept a diary about her pregnancy where she wrote "pregnancy is p***ing me right off" and that the "monstrosity" made her "feel fat".

The court heard that the relevant authorities were never informed about the baby's existence or death and they had left the house with him once in the four days he was alive.

It was alleged that the reason they left the home on this occasion was so Clark could sign on at the Job Centre to obtain benefits.

The court heard that CCTV during this trip saw the pair going to a Morrisons supermarket to buy food and provisions for themselves but no baby products or food for the baby.

The court heard that a previous child they had was taken into care and the pair had denied the existence of the baby in interviews with police.

Prosecuting Louise Blackwell QC, said according to BBC News "The defendants chose to hide the pregnancy from almost everyone.

"There was no antenatal care and no assistance from any person, either medical or in authority. No-one of any importance was aware of the pregnancy or the birth of the baby."

Davies claimed in a police interview that his partner had attempted to breastfeed the baby but failed and the pair had no money to feed or clothe the child, a jury was told.

The court heard that a diary belonging to Davies referred to Clark saying: "You make me feel special while the monstrosity makes me feel fat. You make me feel loved while I hate the bump."

A post mortem examination was unable to be exact about the cause of death, but doctors agreed the child was malnourished.

Clark had stated that the baby had died in his sleep while Davies said that the baby had "weird birth defects", reported The Bolton News.

The trial continues.