Foster Mother's Intuition Raised Alarms Before Baby's Tragic Death
A foster mother who cared for a baby boy during the first ten months of his life testified in court that she developed a profound gut feeling the infant was being deliberately hidden from her after he was handed over to a teacher and his boyfriend for adoption. Sandra Cooper, an experienced foster carer with 27 years of service looking after 43 children, told Preston Crown Court she became increasingly worried about Preston Davey's welfare shortly after his placement.
Initial Meetings Seemed Positive Before Concerns Emerged
Mrs Cooper explained that introductory meetings with Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, initially appeared positive. The couple behaved like excited new parents preparing to adopt a child, and she had no immediate concerns about their suitability. However, within days of Preston moving permanently to their semi-detached home in Blackpool, Lancashire, on April 3, 2023, the situation began to deteriorate alarmingly.
The foster mother detailed how the couple cancelled or failed to attend two of three scheduled contact meetings, prompting her to contact social worker Amy Shepherdson with her growing apprehension. "I called the social worker and said, 'I feel like something is wrong,'" Mrs Cooper testified. "I had a gut feeling. I said, 'I feel like they are hiding him from me.' When we started to get different reasons for why they couldn't attend, I started to get worried."
Difficult Visit Arrangements and Missed Events
Mrs Cooper described one particularly challenging arranged visit at Barton Grange Garden Centre near Lancaster on April 19, 2023. She felt the couple made the meeting deliberately difficult for her and her husband Paul, who were simultaneously caring for two other babies and a four-year-old child. "It was as if they didn't want us to come," she said, sobbing at times during her evidence. "It couldn't have been more difficult... but I would have walked to the end of the earth for that visit, so that's what we did."
During that encounter, Mrs Cooper noticed Preston "looked a bit stiff and a bit blank," though she initially attributed this to the time that had passed since their last meeting. The following month, the couple missed another important visit when they were supposed to bring Preston to Mrs Cooper's birthday and retirement party on May 8.
Devastating Complaint and Communication Breakdown
Around a week after missing the party, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley lodged a formal complaint about Mrs Cooper with social services. The complaint centered on their displeasure about another foster carer being present during one of their introductory visits at Mrs Cooper's home. This development left the experienced foster carer devastated and fearful for her career.
"I took that really badly," Mrs Cooper testified. "I took that as the day I would never see Preston again. The complaint wasn't justified but I thought it was a reason for them to say, 'We've fallen out with her,' and I would never see him again – it was like a day of mourning for me. I was devastated, I cried all day."
When Mrs Cooper attempted to contact the couple to discuss the complaint, they refused to take her calls. Eventually, she removed herself from the "Team Preston" WhatsApp group that had been established for communication between all parties. The complaint was never formally pursued or acted upon by authorities.
Tragic Outcome and Ongoing Trial
Preston Davey died in July 2023, approximately four months after being placed in the care of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. A post-mortem examination revealed the 13-month-old had suffered 40 separate injuries, with a pathologist determining his cause of death as "acute obstruction of his upper airway."
Textiles teacher Jamie Varley faces 25 charges including murder, sexual assault, assault by penetration, inflicting grievous bodily harm for breaking Preston's elbow three weeks before his death, four counts of child cruelty, 14 counts of making and taking indecent images of a child, and one charge of distributing an indecent image of a child. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Sales representative John McGowan-Fazakerley has pleaded not guilty to five charges including causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of child cruelty. Both men face two additional joint charges of sexual assault and child cruelty.
The trial at Preston Crown Court, expected to last six to eight weeks, continues as the court examines the circumstances surrounding Preston Davey's tragic death and the foster mother's intuitive concerns that preceded it.
