Becky Sue Morrow's lawyer is arguing her client shouldn't be held criminally responsible for her actions after the birth of her son, whose body was put in a firepit in March.

Morrow, 27, has pleaded guilty to offering an indignity to a newborn and disposing of a dead body with the intent of concealing her delivery.

Defence lawyer Brian Ferguson told the court Morrow was suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

Morrow was in a disassociative state that kept her from knowing what she was doing, Ferguson told the sentencing hearing in St. Stephen, N.B.

Morrow in denial

Psychiatrist Dr. Patricia Adele Pearce testified Morrow had been in denial about her pregnancy.

After interviewing Morrow in October, Pearce said she had concluded the woman was in a detached and dreamlike state when she went into labour while on her bathroom toilet.

"When you've denied something and it suddenly appears, it can be catastrophic," Pearce told the court.

Morrow was confused when she saw the baby and stopped acting rationally, Pearce said. It would have been like she was watching the events happen on television, she testified.

Morrow put the baby boy in a box in her bedroom later burned the box in a fire pit.

It has never been determined if the baby was alive when it was placed in the pit, however the body was mutilated and some of the remains were placed under a shed.

Tried to conceal pregnancy

According to statements that Morrow gave police, the infant died of natural causes either before, during or directly after birth before 3 a.m. on March 12, in the bathroom of the Old Ridge home she shared with a female roommate.

Morrow also told police she attempted to incinerate the body in her backyard before going to work, according to statements previously presented to the court.

When asked by police if she believed no one would find out about her pregnancy, she said, "Yes."

It was Morrow's second pregnancy. She had also tried to conceal a previous pregnancy before she gave birth to a child in 2005 who is no longer in her custody.

Morrow told police she was embarrassed about becoming pregnant a second time.

The newborn's body was discovered by Morrow's roommate and some guests who inspected the backyard because they were suspicious of her behaviour and sudden weight loss.

Crown questions recollections

Crown prosecutor Randy DiPaolo argued that Morrow's recollections of the incident are too clear.

She could remember she was afraid, she was in pain and she wanted no one to find out, DiPaolo said.

DiPaolo questioned if Morrow was in the disassociated state when she set a fire in her backyard and later drove into town.

Were those actions of "a confused mind or a deceptive one?" DiPaolo asked.

He quoted from the police report, noting that when Morrow's sister arrived, she said the fire, ignited with gasoline, was to roast hotdogs.

DiPaolo added the condition of the baby's remains point to a hole in Morrow's story.

"That baby was cut up and had some skin removed from it," he said. "She neglected a very big portion of the case in her description to police."

Pearce said that even in a disassociated state, people can still make decisions.

Morrow spent much of Wednesday's court proceedings in tears and huddled with her mother, often putting her head in her lap.

The Crown said it will be calling on a psychiatrist with a different opinion of disassociation to testify before the court.

With files from the Canadian Press