The mother accused of murdering her five-year-old son, Dylan Scanlon, admitted to a support worker that she killed him, a trial has heard.

Today (June 21), at Minshull Street Crown Court, the trial surrounding the death of Dylan on December 31, 2021 at his house on Elm Street, Limeside, continued.

Claire Scanlon, 38, is charged with one count of murder, with an alternative lesser count of manslaughter, as well as a further alternative lesser count of child cruelty.

The court heard from Tracey Wills, a senior support worker at Edenfield Hospital, who monitored Scanlon between January 22, 2022, to March 17, 2022.

She was questioned about an interaction she says she had with the accused on February 19 last year.

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Ms Wills said that day, she was on the ward and Scanlon was at a corner of the room, looking out the window as snow began to fall.

She said Scanlon became visibly upset and after asking if she was ok, they went to Scanlon's room.

There, Ms Wills asked Scanlon what was wrong, to which she said she replied: "I killed my child, I killed my baby."

Ms Wills said Scanlon composed herself quickly before asking her why she had made this admission at this time.

She said Scanlon replied saying it was because Dylan would have been able to play in the snow.

Louise Blackwell, defending, asked Ms Wills why she did not mention in her note that she recorded around this time that Scanlon was upset before they went to her room or that Ms Wills asked her why she had made the admission at that time, to which Ms Wills could not answer.

Earlier in the day, the court heard from Dr Charles Wilson, a forensic pathologist who examined Dylan's body following his death.

He says that Dylan suffered 64 separate injuries to his head, neck, shoulders, arms, legs and torso, but stated that none of the injuries contributed to his death.

Dr Wilson instead said that Dylan's cause of death was mirtazapine toxicity due to the fact Dylan had 9,951 micrograms per litre of blood of the anti-depressant drug, which his mother was prescribed, in his system.

He said this amount of the drug represented a clear and "potentially fatal level of mirtazapine".

Read our coverage of the trial so far:

He said that in his opinion Dylan's head injuries did not cause or contribute to his death and said that he believed the injuries to his head and neck showed signs of non-accidental injuries.

Dr Wilson said the distribution of Dylan's head and neck injuries could not be explained by a fall and that he believed Dylan's injuries came from being hit on the head.

Scanlon claims Dylan sustained his injuries by falling from a ladder the day before his death.

The trial continues tomorrow.