Baby Lilly mother given probation

Rachael Davies was given two years' probation

A woman who concealed the birth of her stillborn daughter whose body was found by a Warwickshire river has been sentenced to two years' probation.

Rachael Davies, 26, of Wharrage Road, Alcester, Warwickshire, admitted the offence at a previous hearing and was sentenced at Warwick Crown Court.

The child was named Lilly by officers after she was found near the River Alne in May 2006.

Davies said she did not know she was pregnant until she went into labour.

At an earlier hearing, magistrates were told that she kept the baby's body in her car overnight before dumping it, sometime between January and May last year.

Police artists released an image of Lilly during the investigation

A 13-year-old boy found the infant in a Mothercare bag near a weir at Aston Cantlow.

Warwickshire Police initially launched a murder inquiry because of the baby's injuries but it was later discontinued.

Davies was questioned by police but said she knew nothing about the baby apart from what she had seen on the news.

But DNA tests linked Davies to her daughter. Davies later admitted that pyjamas and a towel found inside the bag belonged to her.

She said the baby showed no signs of life when it was born.

Davies had blamed her weight gain during pregnancy on steroids contained in her inhaler.

Davies' solicitor Colin Charvill said at an earlier hearing his client thought about the incident every day.

"It is not something that goes away - it troubles her...she can't sleep at night and she finds it difficult to go out by herself," he said.