• Claire Scanlon sentenced to jail for poisoning and murdering her five-year-old son, Dylan.
• Gary Keenan, Dylan’s father, expresses disbelief and heartbreak over Claire’s actions.
• Claire Scanlon receives a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years.

A mother, Claire Scanlon, has been sentenced to jail for the murder of her five-year-old son, Dylan Scanlon. She poisoned him by administering an overdose of antidepressants on New Year’s Eve and subjected him to physical abuse.

Dylan was discovered lifeless at their residence in Oldham, with a toxicological analysis revealing that he had consumed a dose nine times higher than the lethal amount for an adult. Despite being given the option to appear via video-link from a secure hospital, the 37-year-old refused to leave her room.

Claire Scanlon has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years by Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

The court proceedings revealed that Scanlon had previously sent abusive messages to Dylan’s father, Gary Keenan, expressing that he would never see his son again. Emotional sobs from family members were audible as victim impact statements were presented in court.

In his statement, Gary Keenan, Dylan’s father, described his son as a joyful, daring, and mischievous little boy who cherished life. He expressed disbelief that Claire would ever harm Dylan, stating that he never imagined such a tragedy would occur.

Keenan further shared that he feels forever changed by the loss, with every happy occasion now overshadowed by sadness due to Dylan’s absence. He admitted to experiencing sleepless nights and harboring guilt, questioning whether his decision to leave may have played a role in the heartbreaking events.

During the trial, the prosecution barrister, Lisa Wilding KC, shared a statement from Dylan’s brother, Shawn, who expressed feeling betrayed by their mother. Shawn described her actions towards Dylan as angry, hateful, and repugnant, believing that she carried out the act as a form of revenge and to inflict harm on their father.

Toxicological tests revealed that Dylan had consumed levels of the antidepressant mirtazapine, a medication prescribed to Scanlon, which would have been fatal for nine adults.