A FATHER accused of murdering his baby son in Radcliffe will stand trial in November.

11-month-old Zakari William Bennett-Eko died after he was found in the River Irwell near to a bridge on Blackburn Street on September 11, 2019

The infant was rescued from the water by firemen and taken to hospital but died later.

Zakari’s father, Zak Eko, was arrested shortly after the incident and charged with his son’s murder.

Eko made two court appearances before being detained under the Mental Health Act last October.

Eko, 22, was later moved from Forest Bank prison in Salford to Ashworth, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Maghull on Merseyside.

His trial was initially due to take place in March, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At Bolton Crown Court, Judge Graeme Smith set a new timetable for events leading up to Eko’s trial which will now take place on November 23, 2020 at Manchester Crown Court.

A pre-trial review date was set for September 28 with Judge Smith also requesting that psychiatric reports are made by October 23.

Eko is yet to enter a plea on the murder charge nor on an alternative charge of manslaughter.

A brief inquest held on September 24 last year heard initial post mortem results revealed Zakari had died from “immersion”.

The hearing at North Manchester Coroners’ Court was also told bystanders raised the alarm - with police officers later discovering the baby in the river.

Eko was arrested inside the Lock Keeper pub in Radcliffe at around 4.30pm the same day.