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A mum whose three-year-old child died in mysterious circumstances after she left him unattended in a bath for up to 15 minutes allegedly told a nurse: "I've told too many lies."

Sahrish Idris, 25, was detained after paramedics were called to the family home on Mother's Day this year and found son Aayan lifeless on the bed.

He was pronounced dead despite efforts to revive him.

Tests were later unable to establish how Aayan died but doctors believe he may have suffered heart failure.

His mother claimed she had left the youngster in the bath with his toys to fold some clothes only to find him face down and unconscious when she returned.

But inquiries revealed the family had been known to social services after Aayan was taken ill at home in Rusholme, Manchester, a year earlier after he swallowed three of his mother's sleeping tablets.

(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

A month after the boy's death, Idris was herself admitted to hospital after she was found with 10 razor blades in her handbag having earlier vowed to throw herself off a motorway bridge.

She told officers: "Something serious happened that night, something serious, but I can't say as you are the police."

It was later claimed she also told a nurse Aayan had not even had a bath on the day of the tragedy, and added: "I've told too many lies, nobody knows the truth about the day my son passed."

She was alleged to have told a second nurse: "It's the guilt because of what I did, you know, it's my fault I've not been truthful with police, they think he slipped in the bath, he didn't even have a bath that day."

And it was said she told the nurse she had previously given sleeping tablets to Aayan saying she "just wanted to see what would happen".

She said "a thought just came into my mind to do it", it was claimed.

At Manchester Crown Court, Idris admitted two charges of child cruelty but was given six months jail, suspended for two years, after neighbours friends and family insisted she had a close relationship with the child.

(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Details of her conversations with police and medics following her suicide threat were not disclosed to the judge - although they were outlined at an earlier magistrates court hearing when Idris was first charged.

Her lawyers argued some of the questioning from the medical staff "went beyond what they should have done".

The tragedy unfolded at 10.30pm on March 26 after Idris rang 999 and paramedics attended her home to find the mother in a "hysterical and distressed" condition with her son lying naked on a bed in an upstairs double bedroom.

As the ambulance staff tried to revive Aayan, his mother said: "I put him in the bath with his toys and left him to go downstairs and fold clothes."

She said she left Aayan alone and unattended in the bath for 10 to 15 minutes and when she returned and found him in the bath face down and unconscious.

The youngster was pronounced dead at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital at 12.30am.

Mark Kellet, prosecuting, said: "The examination of Aayan showed pathological features consistent with drowning, however, the prolonged attempts to resuscitate Aayan meant that there was no direct evidence that he had drowned.

"A doctor identified evidence of minor head injury, but nothing close to or at the time of death. It did not appear, for example, that Aayan had slipped in the bath."

(Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

Later another medic identified sudden arrhythmogenic death syndrome (SADS) as a possible cause of death.

In police interview, Idris claimed Aayan had asked for a bath and she filled it and left him in the water with his toys.

She said she filled the “water to the top” but deep enough for the water to come to his chest.

She said when Aayan went into the bath he was tired and yawning and she went downstairs to fold his clothes.

She said after five to 10 minutes she could hear him splashing but then returned to find him face down in the water. She said she got him out of the bath and put him in a towel and rang 999.

Mr Kellet said: "When asked if she thought it was safe to leave a three-year-old unattended in a bath, she said that she believed it was because that is what she had been doing this for around four months and he had always been safe.

"However, when asked if she wished she had done anything different, she replied 'stayed with him'.

"Given that Aayan was just three years old leaving him in a bath unattended and out of earshot for 10 to 15 minutes amounted to neglect."

The court heard Idris also admitted to police that in July 2016 Aayan had accidentally taken some of her anti-depressant medication.

(Image: PA)

A recording of a call she made at the time to the 111 non-emergency service was located and she could be heard saying Aayan was hallucinating.

Mr Kellet said Idris was "guarded" in her phone call to 111 in 2016 and appeared to be more concerned about whether she would get into trouble.

She had previous convictions for possession of a bladed article and harassment.

Her lawyer Stephen Meadowcroft QC said in mitigation: "All of the evidence in this case does indicate she had a good and close relationship with her child.

"This came from the police officer who visited, from somebody at the local day nursery where he had been attending for some time and it comes from neighbours, friends and members of her own family.

"He was always clean and tidy, always healthy and well mannered and they were all utterly astonished that there was any allegation made that she didn’t treat him in any way properly."

Passing sentence Judge David Stockdale QC told Idris: "This is a tragic case. You left your son alone in the bath for 10 to15 minutes and during that time in your absence he suffered an episode or an incident which led to his death.

"You did not actually harm him. You did not cause his death and I do not for one moment sentence you on the basis that you did.

"But you were guilty of cruelty to him on the two occasions and you are guilty of putting him at risk to his safety."