ZAK BENNETT KILLS SON IN RADCLIFFE RIVER TRAGEDY

In a heartbreaking case that shocked the community of Radcliffe, Zak Bennett-Eko was found guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility after he threw his infant son, Zakari William Bennett-Eko, into the River Irwell on September 11, 2019. The tragic incident resulted in the young child's death, with the body later recovered from the water, revealing that he had succumbed to hypothermia, drowning, or a combination of both.

During the court proceedings, the defense argued that Bennett-Eko was not guilty of murder due to insanity, claiming that he was suffering from a severe mental health crisis at the time of the act. Conversely, the prosecution maintained that Bennett-Eko was responsible for manslaughter, citing diminished responsibility due to his mental state.

The trial, held at the Lowry Nightingale court, uncovered that Bennett-Eko had told medical professionals he believed his son was the devil and that he was being commanded to drown him. This statement was made amidst a spiraling psychosis, which the court considered significant in understanding his mental condition during the incident.

The jury was tasked with deciding between two legal routes: if they believed Bennett-Eko was suffering from a 'disease of the mind,' specifically paranoid schizophrenia, and that he either did not understand what he was doing or did not realize it was wrong, they would find him not guilty by reason of insanity. If they did not accept this, they were instructed to find him guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury returned with a verdict today, November 30, finding Bennett-Eko guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. The defendant, who is currently detained at Ashworth secure hospital, was not present in court for the trial or the sentencing scheduled for December 1. The court is now awaiting further psychiatric assessments to determine the appropriate sentence for Bennett-Eko.

The verdict elicited an audible reaction from members of the public gallery, where family members of the victim have been seated throughout the trial, reflecting the emotional weight of the case and the community's ongoing grief over the tragic loss of Zakari William Bennett-Eko in Radcliffe.