The father of a five-year-old boy from Oldham, who it is alleged was murdered by his mother, has recounted the heartbreaking moment he found out his son had died.

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

It is alleged she beat the five-year-old before fatally poisoning him with antidepressants.

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 third day of her trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today (Thursday) Dylan’s father Gary Keenan took to the stand and recounted the devastating day he discovered his son had died.

The court heard that at 6.13pm on December 31, 2021, Scanlon called Mr Keenan claiming that their son Dylan was unresponsive.

Remembering the call, Mr Keenan said: “She (Scanlon) was hysterical. She said Dylan's had an accident. He's not breathing. His lips are turning blue.

"She said Dylan fell down some ladders.

"I asked her if she called the paramedics, and she said no.

"I drove to Dylan's house as quick as I could.”

The court was told that by the time Mr Keenan arrived the police were already there, and he was not allowed to enter the home.

It was Scanlon’s eldest son Shawn that broke the news to Mr Keenan that Dylan had died.

A few months later on March 5, 2022 Mr Keenan said he received a call from Scanlon.

He told the jury: "Her exact words were this is all your f****** fault.

"I told her she was breaking her restraining order."

The court heard that the relationship between Scanlon and Mr Keenan began in 2005 and ended in December 2020.

Mr Keenan told the jury that he and Scanlon had “ups and downs” and "arguments" throughout their 15-year relationship and that there was always a problem between Scanlon and his family.

He said: “My dad disliked Claire from the start, my mum got on with Claire for my sake.”

Mr Keenan said that after he left, he got to see Dylan "on occasion when it suited Claire" and that the last time he saw his son was the day before his fifth birthday in September 2021.

He said that in December 2021 when he asked Scanlon whether he could see Dylan and give him Christmas presents she refused.

“She (Scanlon) wanted me to come back and be a family. It's not what I wanted I just wanted to see my son," he said.

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding told the jury 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 let him see him.

Mr Keenan said the number of voicemails he received from Scanlon was "just Claire being Claire” and they did not concern him at the time.

Following Mr Keenan giving evidence, Scanlon’s father Michael Scanlon took to the stand.

He told the jury that on the day that Dylan’s body was found he received a call from Mr Keenan and immediately went to his daughter’s house, arriving before the emergency services.

Describing what he saw inside the front room of the house, he said: “Dylan was laid down and one of the neighbours was doing CPR. He had a bruise on his head.”

Mr Scanlon said he heard his daughter in the room but did not speak to her until the police brought her out of the house and she said to him: “Dad will you make sure Dylan's alright?"

He then told the jury that after his daughter was taken into custody she was "constantly on the phone" to him.

Discussing one phone call he said: “She said she tried to take her own life. She said she had taken tablets as well, but she didn’t take enough because she woke up.”

The trial continues tomorrow.