Zakari Bennett-Eko’s mother has told an inquest about her attempts to get mental health help for her partner before he threw her baby into a river.
Zakari, 11 months old, was recovered 45 minutes after his father, Zak Eko, threw him into the River Irwell at Radcliffe on September 11, 2019, but doctors were unable to revive him.
An inquest at Rochdale Coroner’s Court heard from a pathologist that the baby died due to immersion in cold water, as a result of hypothermia and/or drowning.
Post-mortem examination also revealed that the baby had suffered a broken leg in the days before his death.
Zakari’s mother, Emma Blood, told coroner Joanne Kearsley how, when she began a relationship with her former schoolmate Zak Eko in 2017, she had no idea he had spent years in hospital with mental health issues.
“He said that he had suffered from psychosis, which was drug-induced, in the past and that he took medication for it,” Miss Blood said.
“I didn’t really understand what psychosis was. She said that she had ADHD. She didn’t know she had schizophrenia.”
Miss Blood said no one from health or social services warned or advised her about her partner and, in the early days of their relationship, she had no worries.
When, in February 2018, she found out she was pregnant, she said she and Mr Eko were delighted and moved into a new house in River Street, Radcliffe.
Zakari was born at a healthy 7lbs 6oz on October 15, 2018 and gained weight but aside from the health visitor, Miss Blood said they were not offered any additional support.
Three months after Zakari’s birth, Miss Blood became pregnant with her daughter again and told the inquest how Mr. Eko’s behavior began to change.
He contacted Manchester Children’s Services claiming that Miss Blood had assaulted him. But when a police officer visited his home, he claimed that it was not true and that he had only made the accusation because he did not like where they lived and wanted to move.
Radcliffe pharmacist Sham Iqbal told the inquest between January and May 2019 that Mr Eko had been given his antipsychotic medication by his pharmacy.
But he said no “red flags” were raised when the drug was not delivered to him from May to September 2019, as he could have gotten his prescription elsewhere.
Miss Blood said Mr Eko confessed to her that he hadn’t been taking his antipsychotic medication and as 2019 progressed he started “acting strange”, lying to people in his family and causing trouble. She didn’t know if he was sick or just looking for care.
“He was acting like he was depressed and then he was fine the next minute,” said Miss Blood.
Mr. Eko once didn’t sleep for five days, he added, and watched YouTube videos of pop star Beyonce, claiming she was his mother.
His mother had died and Mr. Eko, a cannabis user since the age of 12, had previously been accused of assaulting her by stepping on her head.
Miss Blood said her behavior became more erratic, she kept threatening suicide and they couldn’t live together anymore, so she went to live with her grandmother.
“He was always kicking. He was mad at everyone and he was always criticizing everyone,” said Miss Blood.
“He was getting weird, it wasn’t him. He didn’t understand what was going on.”
But Mr. Eko’s grandmother couldn’t handle him and they asked Ms. Blood if she would let him stay with her again.
Miss Blood said she tried to get help from medical professionals over the phone, but no one told her about him.
On September 3, 2019, she and her baby Zakari went with Mr Eko to the emergency room at North Manchester General Hospital. She waited outside a room while he spoke with a member of the mental health team.
He told a staff member that he was only depressed because he had lost his mother, he added, and that he just needed to take his medicine.
He was not asked about Mr. Eko’s behavior, the court heard.
Miss Blood said that in the two days before Zakari’s death, Mr. Eko had been behaving more normally.
On 9/11 she went with Mr. Eko to surgery in Radcliffe to make an appointment for him as he was suffering from stomach pains.
She said they went to the Lock Keeper pub for lunch before heading home.
She was upstairs while Mr. Eko was playing with Zakari in the living room and when she came downstairs the couple and stroller were gone.
When he heard a ruckus, he initially believed that Mr. Eko had committed suicide.
Police investigator Duncan Thorpe told the inquest that Eko had gone to the river and thrown the baby into the water before sitting down at the Lock Keeper bar, where he was arrested.
In the interview, she claimed that other people had told her to throw the baby in the water.
A jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter by diminished responsibility and he was detained on hospital orders.
The inquest, expected to last three weeks, was heard from September 2014 to February 2016. Mr Eko had been sectioned and detained at Prestwich Hospital with psychosis.
But he was deemed to be doing well when he was released and in 2018 he was discharged by the Early Intervention Service.
Thorpe said that from 2016 to 2019, Greater Manchester Police had not been involved in any multi-agency work in relation to Eko.
The investigation continues.
