The relatives and friends of an Oldham mum accused of murdering her son say she “shut herself away” from the world in the months before his death.

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.

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts 

During the fourth day of her trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday several of Scanlon’s relatives, friends, and neighbours gave evidence as witnesses.

First to take to the stand was Scanlon’s sister Susan Scanlon whose voice cracked with emotion as spoke.

Ms Scanlon told the jury that Dylan was her sister’s “life”.

She said: “She was his life, and he was hers. I don't know what went wrong."

Ms Scanlon recalled that her sister did not cope well following her break up with Dylan’s father Mr Keenan and that she began to “lose interest with things” and stopped eating as “she couldn't physically do it".

The jury has previously heard that Scanlon and Mr Keenan broke up in December 2020 after being together for 15 years.

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding said Scanlon became “angry” when Mr Keenan left her to live with another woman whilst she “struggled – emotionally, practically and financially as a single parent”.

Ms Scanlon then told the jury that she fell out with her sister Claire in December 2021 and that they began seeing less of each other.

She said that around a week before Christmas 2021, her sister knocked on her door, but she did not hear her.

Ms Scanlon said her sister assumed she was being ignored and “blocked” her on Facebook shortly afterwards. After that she became unreachable.

"She wouldn't answer her phone. She wouldn't answer the door,” Ms Scanlon explained.

Describing her sister's behaviour in the month before Dylan's death, she said: "She shut herself off to everybody. Absolutely everybody."

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

The court then heard a statement from Sarah Armstrong, a school friend of Scanlon’s.

In her statement, Ms Armstrong said the last time she saw Scanlon was in November 2021 and that she noticed Scanlon had lost a lot of weight.

She explained that she and Scanlon fell out over money which resulted in Scanlon “blocking her”.

Ms Armstrong also commented that Scanlon "went within herself" following the death of her mother in 2014.

Also giving evidence, Scanlon’s neighbour Melanie Bowman, said Scanlon started to "shut herself away" from her friends and neighbours and "keep herself inside" in 2016, the year Dylan was born.

Ms Bowman said she saw Dylan and Scanlon walking down the street two days before Dylan’s death and noticed Scanlon had lost a lot of weight.

The court then heard a statement Ms Bowman gave to the police on December 31, 2021.

In the statement, Ms Bowman said: “Within the last three months Claire started to shut people out. She didn't come out to socialise.

"Dylan would normally be out playing in the garden, but this stopped."

Scanlon’s uncle Paul McDermott also recalled Scanlon becoming more withdrawn in December 2021.

Mr McDermott, who lives opposite Scanlon’s former home, told the jury that he did some Christmas shopping for Scanlon in December 2021 and dropped it off at her house.

Describing how Scanlon seemed at the time he said: "She looked skinny and fed up".

He then told the jury that on Christmas Day he went to drop off presents for Dylan from Shawn, Scanlon’s eldest son, as Scanlon would not answer the door to Shawn.

Mr McDermott saw Scanlon again on Boxing Day when he went to her house to deliver leftover food.

"She'd gone more in on herself. She wouldn't get on with other people”, he said.

The trial continues on Monday.