Psychotic dad thought baby son was the devil and threw him into river

pA a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/mental-healthpsychotic/a dad who believed his 11-month-old son was #x2018;the devil#x2019; has been found guilty of killing him after throwing the baby boy into a river./p pZak Bennett-Eko was cleared of murdering Zakari William Bennett-Eko by reason of insanity and was instead convicted of a data-content-type=section data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/crime/manslaughter/a./p pThe 23-year-old had attended a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/hospitalsAamp;E/a six times to seek help for his mental health in the lead up to the tragic incident on September 11 last year./p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23094074.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_JS224109144.jpg title=Zakari died after being thrown into the River Irwell by his dad data-portal-copyright=PA/ p/ p/ pThe dad was seen #x2018;swinging his son from side to side#x2019; by alarmed passersby before he tossed the tragic youngster into the River Irwell in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester./p pLittle Zakari was found to have died from hypothermia, drowning or a combination of the two when his body was pulled from the water, the a data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-zak-bennett-eko-guilty-19373064Manchester Evening News/a reports./p pDuring the a href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/courts data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link data-content-type=section-topicsix-day trial/a over the babyapos;s death, Bennett-Ekoapos;s defence team argued that the defendant was not guilty of murder by reason of insanity./p pThe prosecution alleged he was guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility./p pBennett-Eko told doctors that he quot;believed his son was the devil and that he was being told to drown himquot; at the time of the crime, after spiralling into a severe state of psychosis, the Lowry Nightingale court heard./p pThe father is currently residing at Ashworth secure hospital and was not present for the trial./p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23094077.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_JS223616726.jpg title=Tributes to Zakari William Bennett-Eko, who died in Radcliffe on September 11, 2019 data-portal-copyright=MEN/ p/ pAfter less than three hours of deliberations, the jury came back to court to find Bennett-Eko guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility today./p pThe court is seeking further psychiatric evidence to decide what kind of sentence Bennett-Eko will receive./p pThe court was told that the father had attended Aamp;E six times in the weeks leading up to the crime, seeking help for his mental health, the court heard./p pHowever, he was never admitted to hospital as a result of those visits./p pThe jury was told that because of his quot;superficially calmquot; exterior, doctors did not recognise his quot;seriously disturbedquot; mental state - despite him telling staff that he wanted to be sectioned./p pBut the court was told that Bennett-Eko began hallucinating and seeing his babyapos;s quot;legs expandingquot;./p pShortly after 4pm on September 11, the dad left the family home on River Street, Radcliffe, with his son in a pushchair./p pHe walked to the riverside and passed by a blue Ford Focus driven by a man who nodded at him./p img src=https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article23094079.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_JS224109147.jpg title=Mum Emma Blood with her son Zakari William Bennett-Eko data-portal-copyright=PA/ p/ pBennett-Eko claimed the nod quot;specifically indicatedquot; that Zakari was the devil and had to be drowned./p pOn the day of his sonapos;s death, Bennett-Eko was seen quot;swinging his son from side to sidequot; before throwing him into the river./p pThe man then was seen walking into the nearby Lock Keeper pub quot;as if nothing had happenedquot; before telling other customers what he had done, the jurors heard./p pPolice then arrived to arrest him as he sat quot;calmlyquot; at a table and gave his details./p pWhen he was in custody, he asked for his dead mother to be contacted and called an officer quot;Uncle Stevequot;, the court heard./p pTwo psychiatrists said they believe that Bennett-Eko reaches the legal threshold for being declared insane./p pDr Higgins and Dr John Crosby, who work at the secure hospital where the man now lives, said he really believed his son to be the devil and thought quot;killing the devil is not wrongquot;./p p/ pDr Crosby said that Bennett-Ekoapos;s lack of attempt to save his son shows quot;how grossly disturbed his mental health isquot;./p pThe doctor said: quot;He seemed very confused and may have been hearing voices as his eyes were looking around unusually. He did not look like he was aware of his surroundings./p pquot;Although he did know what he was doing was wrong, he did not know what he was doing was wrong./p pquot;He believed due to hallucinations that his son was the devil, and therefore itapos;s not legally wrong to kill the devil.quot;/p pHowever, another psychiatrist said that Bennett-Eko is able to think rationally./p pBennett-Eko admitted that he hesitated before throwing his son, added the medic, saying he believed that shows the defendant quot;was able to understand his actions and that they were wrongquot;./p pHe will not be present for his sentencing tomorrow./p