An Oldham mum who allegedly beat her five-year-old son before poisoning him with a fatal dose of antidepressants refused to let his father see him unless he became a “full-time dad”, a murder trial has heard.

Claire Scanlon, of Elm Road, Limeside, is accused of killing her son Dylan Scanlon, five, at their home on December 31, 2021.

The 38-year-old has been charged with one count of murder, with an alternative lesser count of manslaughter, as well as a further alternative lesser count of child cruelty.

She has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against her.

During the second day of the trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today (Wednesday) the court heard a series of messages and voicemails that Scanlon sent to Dylan’s father, Gary Keenan, in the two month’s leading up their son’s death.

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding told the jury that the messages and voicemails demonstrate how “angry” Scanlon was that Mr Keenan had left her to live with another woman whilst she “struggled – emotionally, practically and financially as a single parent”.

On September 31, 2021 the day before Dylan’s fifth birthday, Scanlon allowed Mr Keenan to visit. That was the last time Mr Keenan saw his son alive.

Today the court heard a voicemail that Scanlon sent to Mr Keenan in October 2021, in which she threatened him with a restraining order.

She also warned that after Christmas she would change Dylan’s name in retaliation to him “ghosting” her for 10 months.

On the first day of the trial, the jury was told by Ms Wilding that the relationship between Mr Keenan and Scanlon broke down in December 2020.

Ms Wilding said Scanlon was left “angered” at being left with full responsibility for Dylan and said her family described her as being “bitter” about the break-up and “obsessed” with Mr Keenan.

Addressing the jury, she added: “The number of messages she left for Gary and the content of them strongly support that description.”

In another message sent to Mr Keenan in October, Scanlon said that for as long as she was a single mum Dylan would not be going out of the house.

She later told Mr Keenan: “Either come back as full-time dad or go” and threatened: “You decide either her or your son”.

In another voicemail played to the court, Dylan’s voice could be heard.

In the voicemail, the five-year-old says: “Bye Gary", and Scanlon can then be heard saying: “He's picked a girl over you".

On November 8, Scanlon sent a message to Mr Keenan saying: "You need to decide what's more important your kid or her. I told you I wouldn't be doing it on my own."

Later that month, she told Mr Keenan that every Christmas decoration in her house was “going in the bin”.

In another message, she said: “As long as I'm breathing, you'll never see your son again. I'm serious."

Yesterday, Ms Wilding told the jury that in the run up to Christmas 2021, Scanlon became “more isolated and reclusive” and began to restrict Dylan having contact with others.

She said that in the week between Christmas and New Year Scanlan left Mr Keenan a number of voicemails that indicated she was “struggling” to cope with looking after Dylan on her own but still refused to allow Mr Keenan to see him.

In a voicemail on December 23, Scanlon told Mr Keenan: "I take it you pick her, I've done this for a year now and I'm not doing it no more.

"Struggling here on my own doing everything. I'm not doing it no more."

On December 27, she then left a message saying, “I promise you now, carry on treating me like a k*** h***, I promise you’re never gonna see my son again’ and ‘treat me like a d*** I’ll stop you from going near him.”

In December Scanlon received two letters from solicitors acting for Mr Keenan, arranging for him to have access to Dylan.

Ms Wilding said there was “no doubt” the letters made Scanlon “more angry and more upset”

On December 30, 2021, the day before Dylan died, Scanlon sent Mr Keenan a message that said: “Well I’ve emailed your solicitor again. Telling him you still ain’t even bothered.

“And you’re just showing Gary, all you want to do is act like me and Dyl weren’t in your life and crack on, make a new life with your new bird. So you go and do that. I’ll solve it for you.

“Go and enjoy your new life with her. And remember you chose your s***.”

The trial continues tomorrow.