An inquest into the death of an 11-month old baby who died in Radcliffe after being thrown into the River Irwell by his father will look at how agencies treated the dad after his release from being sectioned.

Zak Benett-Eko threw Zakari William Bennett-Eko into the water near his home in September 2019.

He was sentenced to a hospital order after a jury found him jury found him guilty of manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

The court heard he had entered into a state of severe psychosis and believed his son was the devil.

An inquest into the death of Zakari will take place at Rochdale Coroners’ Court next February.

It is expected to run for two weeks but could be longer if various agencies do not accept the findings of a recent serious case review. A preliminary hearing took place yesterday.

Among those who were represented included the family of Zakari, police, Pennine NHS Foundation, Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust, Manchester City Council, Manchester General Hospital, Manchester Clinical Commissioning Group and Bury Council.

The inquest heard Zak Bennett-Eko had been sectioned from 2014 until 2016 as he was suffering from a cannabis induced psychosis. He was then given a community treatment order to last for six months, but this was then ceased.

Coroner Joanne Kearsley said while she did not wish to explore greatly what happened while he was sectioned, she wanted the inquest to look at how agencies involved with him responded to his “medical and social needs” after he was released.

She said was interested in two or three multiagency meetings which took place about him.

She wants the inquest to look at “who had responsibility for these plans particularly in relation to his mental health and proscribing and monitoring of any psychotic medication.”

The hearing heard Zak Bennett-Eko had a GP in Fallowfield until June 2018, but it has not yet been made clear who his next GP was and which pharmacist he went to get medication from.

He went to North Manchester General Hospital six times in 2019. The last of these took place three days before he threw his son into the river.

It also heard the facility where Zak Bennett-Eko is has been contacted but he has been deemed not well enough and does not wish to engage with the proceedings.

The coroner asked all agencies to set out whether they agreed with the findings of the serious case review and whether there were any more admissions they wanted to make. Another preliminary hearing will take place next month.