A number of chances were missed to save baby Preston Davey, who was admitted to hospital on three separate occasions and assessed by multiple healthcare professionals just weeks before his murder at the hands of his 'pure evil' adoptive parents, a trial revealed.
These squandered chances are now poised for investigation as authorities examine how professionals handled the case of the 13-month-old, who suffered relentless mistreatment from his adoptive carers.
Yesterday, textiles teacher Jamie Varley, 37, was convicted of sexual abuse and murder, while his partner, financial sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, child cruelty, and sexual assault.
Varley initially attempted to conceal his crimes by alleging he'd left Preston in the bath momentarily and discovered him underwater upon his return. Nevertheless, a post-mortem examination revealed this as a wicked fabrication. Preston's hair remained dry, and he hadn't ingested any water; his true cause of death was 'acute upper airways obstruction by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.'
Preston endured merely four months under the couple's guardianship. During that short period, he was hospitalised three times with injuries, including a fractured elbow, and sustained 40 traumatic wounds.
Notwithstanding two visits from social workers to the residence and one deployment of Lancashire Police, the abuse remained undetected. An independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review, suspended while criminal proceedings were underway, is set to resume its investigation into how authorities failed to safeguard the defenceless youngster from an adoptive father who treated him as a 'plaything.'
Preston arrived four weeks early, tipping the scales at 5lb 7oz. His mum, convicted murderer Sarah Davey, was imprisoned in the mother and baby wing at HMP Styal, and he was placed into emergency care by Oldham Council aged merely five days.
During his initial nine months, Preston was looked after by foster carers Sandra and Paul Cooper. In their custody, he was a 'thriving' baby whose only medical issue was a minor acid reflux problem.
It was at the Cooper's home that Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley first met Preston, during the mandatory familiarisation process before formally adopting him. Sandra recalled feeling immediately uneasy, noting the two men seemed to have no idea how to take care of an infant, forcing her to teach them basic parenting tasks.
10 Missed Chances to Save Preston
1. April 1 2023: Formal Placement
Preston was formally placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. Soon after the handover, Sandra contacted social services with an ominous 'gut feeling' that something wasn't right. She stated she tried to arrange a visit with Preston, but her appeals were consistently rejected by the pair.
2. Early April: Varley Calls Preston 'Dead Meat'
Just days after bringing Preston home, Varley dispatched an ominous text to his sister following a challenging night, stating: 'He's dead meat today. Didn't sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours.'
3. May 15: Sinister 999 Call
McGowan-Fazakerley rang 999 but suddenly disconnected. The emergency handler documented hearing someone in the background stating: 'Put it down..' Upon the handler ringing back, the pair insisted they'd intended to contact non-emergency service 111 regarding Preston experiencing 'breathing problems.' A scheduled home visit from a health visitor occurred the next day, with the infant recorded as seemingly fine.
4. May 25: First Hospital Admission
Preston was taken urgently to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after becoming limp and non-responsive. Varley maintained he'd experienced a nosebleed, a seizure and respiratory difficulties. Yet paediatric sister Zoe Hellowell and Nurse Holly Edwards spotted deeply concerning bruising on Preston's head and documented 'unexplained injuries, inconsistent with a version of events given.' Hospital protection teams, social services and Lancashire Police were alerted. Nevertheless, Varley convinced officials with his account, asserting that his adopted lad had merely knocked his head while learning to crawl. The reasoning was deemed satisfactory, and no additional measures were pursued.
5. June 30: Second Hospital Admission
The pair brought Preston back to hospital, where he presented with a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting, high temperature, and recent bruising to his head. To account for this, the duo showed medical staff footage of Preston accidentally pulling a toy onto his head during play. In truth, the footage had been recorded 12 days earlier and couldn't have been responsible for the new injuries, a fact only uncovered subsequently. During this visit, Varley audaciously remarked to hospital personnel: 'You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something.'
6. July 3: Social Worker Visit
Social worker Amy Shepherdson called at the residence on July 3. She observed the infant appeared 'a little pale' and 'not himself' but recorded that she attributed this to a recent bout of illness.
7. July 6: Third Hospital Visit
Merely three days afterwards, Preston was taken back to hospital with a fractured elbow. Varley provided contradictory and inconsistent accounts about how the injury had happened to medical personnel, ultimately claiming it had occurred while placing his adopted son in his cot. That same day, Shepherdson, who had been liaising with the hospital, messaged Varley stating: 'Just to reassure you they said they had absolutely no concerns. U absolutely did the right thing.'
8. July 7: Independent Review by Social Services
Independent reviewer Helen Magee carried out a scheduled inspection on Oldham Council's behalf. Cognisant of the repeated hospital visits, she penned a report speaking directly to the infant: 'Preston, I did watch your responses to your daddies quite carefully as I am aware that you have had a few hospital admissions of late and this made me ponder a little as to whether there was a problem that I couldn't see. I decided there wasn't an issue..'
9. Mid-July: Terrifying Confession to Coworker
Varley, who had been on a year's adoption leave, visited his workplace with Preston's arm noticeably encased in plaster. During the visit, he revealed to his colleague, Janet Gee, that he was experiencing 'dark thoughts' about killing the baby through suffocation or drowning. Since Varley stated he had disclosed this to his social worker, Gee took no further action.
10. July 13: Headteacher Welfare Assessment
On July 13, Varley's headteacher performed a welfare assessment at the couple's residence after learning he was struggling mentally, but departed without raising any concerns.
July 27: The Heartbreaking Conclusion
Varley brought the child to hospital one last time, alleging the baby had drowned in the bath, and Preston died in hospital, aged just 13 months.
In the wake of the guilty verdicts, an Adoption Now spokesperson commented: 'This was a deeply upsetting case, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by these truly awful crimes. Adoption Now follows a strict and rigorous process in line with all relevant legislation and guidance in the assessment and approval of adopters. An independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review is being completed.'
Oldham Council stated: 'The death of any child is a tragedy, but this is a particularly heart-wrenching and disturbing case. We are thankful that the perpetrators of the sickening murder and abuse of an innocent child have today been convicted for their crimes. An independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review is already under way, which will examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding. Our thoughts remain with Preston's family, loved ones, and the many people affected by this case.'
