Social services have 'serious questions' to answer over the way tragic Preston Davey was handed to his sick adoptive 'dads' before he was sexually abused and murdered. Oldham MP Jim McMahon and the NSPCC have joined the child's family in demanding answers. The children's commissioner for England has described the case as a failure of state safeguarding.
Council's stance and missed opportunities
Amid calls from Preston's family for individuals to be held responsible, it is understood bosses at Oldham council believe social services acted properly. But it has emerged that on at least nine occasions medical or safeguarding officials raised concerns about the baby, who was found to have suffered at least 40 injuries, many of which indicated sexual abuse. Nobody raised the alarm.
It is one of a number of disturbing cases involving criticism of social services in Oldham, including a boy of 10 who ended up in hospital with malnourishment, anaemia and scurvy following shocking 'oversight' by the council. A report published last year concluded there were 'missed opportunities' in the boy's care plan.
Last year, Oldham social services again came under the spotlight following the case of another child, a troubled teenage girl, who was found at a house in the town nine days after she had gone missing. She reported that she'd had sex with a number of men one of whom was later convicted of rape, a report revealed. It highlighted 'a direct correlation between the impact of separation from her family, her unhappiness and how these push-pull factors increased her exposure to risk and harm'.
Pattern of failures
Both these cases took place in 2023 the same year Preston was abused and murdered. Another safeguarding review published in 2025 concerned the shocking 2021 murder of five-year-old Dylan Scanlon, at the hands of his mother. He was beaten and poisoned. Oldham's Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) missed a series of opportunities to intervene effectively in Dylan's care, while the response to welfare concerns about how his mother was caring for Dylan was 'inadequate' and 'ineffective'. There was a 'systemic sub-optimal approach to multi-agency working', the review added.
In all three cases, the council offered expressions of sorrow for the suffering children went through, but no apologies or admissions of failure - just general claims that criticised practices had been improved and that the department was in a better place than it was before. It's a depressingly familiar pattern.
Convictions and sentencing
Earlier this week, paedophile ex-teacher Jamie Varley, 32, was convicted by a jury of murder; GBH; sexual assault; cruelty; and taking indecent images of Preston. His partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, who turned a blind eye to Varley's abuse of Preston, was found guilty of sexual assault; neglect; and allowing the death of a child. Varley treated Preston like his 'personal plaything', subjecting him to ever increasing physical, psychological and sexual abuse in the four months the baby lived at the house in Staining Road, Blackpool. He was told he will never be released from prison after being handed a whole life order. McGowan-Fazakerley, who took part in a sick sex attack on the innocent child four days before he died, was jailed for 25 years.
Following the jailing of the adoptive dads responsible for making little Preston's short life such a misery this week, yet another independent safeguarding review is underway which will examine whether agencies - particularly the hospital where he was taken on three occasions and social services in Oldham - were working effectively together to spot a pattern of potential abuse. An inquest may also be held into the death.
Children's commissioner's response
Dame Rachel de Souza, Children's Commissioner for England, has already described the 'harrowing' case as a failure of state safeguarding. As a 'looked after' child, Preston was seen by a 'battery of professionals' during his life including social workers, health visitors and hospital medics, the criminal trial revealed.
Preston was taken from his birth mother Sarah Davey who, having been sentenced to life for the shocking torture and murder of pensioner Lily Lilley in 1998, became pregnant while in and out of prison for a string of breaches of her early release licence. Sarah's mother Debra, Preston's gran, said she had wanted to adopt the tot, as she had Sarah's previous child. When she became ill, the adoption process took another route. Five days after Preston's birth he was handed to foster carers, and later to Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley.
Family's anguish
Debra said she pleaded with social services to allow the child to remain with his foster carers, Sandra and Paul Cooper, until she recovered from breast cancer treatment, but to no avail. The foster carers, from Oldham, said in victim personal statements read to the sentencing hearing they 'just wish [they] could have kept him' and that they had 'lost trust' in the system that should have protected Preston. Sarah Davey said that trust had been 'completely and unforgivably broken'.
The trial revealed the baby suffered sickening abuse during his short life. Neighbours near the couple's home described Varley as 'arrogant and narcissistic'. The infant died of 'acute upper airways obstruction', with the prosecution at the adoptive dads' trial saying baby Preston had been 'smothered to death'. They took the unconscious child from their home to Blackpool Victoria Hospital around 6.20pm on July 27, 2023. Medics worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate the child until a decision was made that further intervention was futile and death was confirmed at 7.20pm. Little Davey had lived for just 13 months, initially happily with his foster carers until he was handed to his adoptive 'dads'.
Missed warnings
The infant's foster carer Ms Cooper - who cared for baby Preston before handing him to Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley - said she was concerned the pair were hiding Preston from her after they cancelled plans to meet. He was taken to hospital on three separate occasions but concerns about unexplained bruises were dismissed. His social worker was a regular visitor to the family home and checked in on Preston when he was discharged from hospital. Later, a supervising social worker from Oldham council looked at whether there was something going on that she could not see after his third hospital visit.
Despite his broken arm, she made a note intended for Preston to read once he reached adulthood. It read: 'I did watch your responses to your daddies quite carefully as I am aware you have had a few hospital admissions of late and this made me ponder a little as to if there was a problem that I couldn't see. I decided that there wasn't an issue as you and they presented as perfectly at ease and very affectionate towards each other.' On each occasion, Varley was able to convince people Preston was a just clumsy baby simply suffering from a bad run of ill health.
The child's grandmother Debra, 66, said she had wanted to bring up Preston herself. She had custody of Preston's sibling from 2019 after Sarah gave birth to her first child. The plan to raise the siblings in the same household were scuppered when Debra was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was starting chemotherapy a week after Preston's birth so was not ready, at that stage, to care for a newborn. Debra had wanted to wait until she was better, but the adoption process went down another route.
Debra, from Failsworth, said she had wanted to care for Preston, but was unable to do so because she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She added: 'Sarah wanted to keep Preston, but she was told he was going to a foster home. Preston was with Sarah for a week while they were both in hospital but then Preston was given a foster home.' It is understood bosses at Oldham council believed Debra had withdrawn from the adoption process. Mrs Davey, who is now cancer free, said: 'Sarah spoke to the social worker telling her that she didn't want Preston adopted. She begged the foster mother to keep Preston, but was told she could not because she was only a foster mother. We wanted social services to allow Preston to stay with foster parents until I was better but they wouldn't allow it. If they'd agreed, he would be here with me today.'
Social worker's observations
Throughout his short life, Preston was seen regularly by social workers, either in person or on video calls. It was observed that he could be clumsy and would topple over when sitting and reaching - thought to be due to a turn in his eye. A group chat was active with the men and social workers in which they posted updates. Varley said he was struggling with lack of sleep and adapting to his new role, but sought help and support from his own mother - a mum-of-five and experienced grandmother, who lived nearby.
Helen Magee, an independent reviewing social worker, visited the family on July 7, and watched how Preston responded to his adoptive fathers. Aware of his hospital admissions, she 'pondered if there was a problem she couldn't see', but decided all three seemed happy and at ease. On July 27, Preston was carried into the A&E department at Blackpool Victoria unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. Medics worked on him for almost an hour but at 7.20pm said there was no more they could do and Preston was pronounced dead, aged just 13 months old. Varley was hysterical and lied that Preston had fallen from a bath seat when he was left alone for a matter of minutes while he went to get some clothes.
Political and institutional responses
Oldham MP Jim McMahon told the Manchester Evening News: 'The nature and scale of the abuse Preston Davey suffered was horrific. His killers showed a level of callousness and cruelty which is hard to comprehend. A Serious Child Safeguarding Practice Review will now consider whether there were professional failings and whether opportunities to protect Preston were missed. While that review must be allowed to run its course, the facts already in the public domain raise serious questions about whether more could have been done to identify the abuse and intervene sooner.'
He added later in a post on Facebook: 'Whatever comes from the review we will wait and see, but the senselessness of what that innocent boy lived through, and died as a result of is overwhelming. He deserved so much better.' Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has started its own inquiry which will review what emerged during the criminal trial. Chief executive Maggie Oldham said: 'The appalling murder of Preston Davey has shocked us all and our thoughts remain with Preston's family and all the people affected by these terrible crimes. We are working closely with other agencies and are continuously improving our child safeguarding. We are committed to encouraging colleagues to speak up about anything they are not comfortable with or concerned about. We will now consider carefully all the evidence heard at the trial to identify if any further improvements are necessary, beyond the safeguards already in place.'
It is understood bosses at Oldham council believe social workers acted correctly although the findings of the independent review which is underway may change that opinion. A spokesperson for the town hall said: '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 underway, 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.'
An NSPCC spokesperson said: 'There are clearly important lessons from this terrible case, and the Child Safeguarding Practice Review must establish whether more could have been done to protect Preston, and how we can learn from any failings to prevent future tragedies where possible.' Adoption Now, the agency which manages adoptions for councils in Greater Manchester and Lancashire and which facilitated Preston's adoption, declined to comment until the review has been finalised.
Timeline of key moments
April 29, 2023 - A meeting was arranged with foster carers Sandra and Paul Cooper at Barton Grange, Preston. Mrs Cooper said she felt the meeting was at an inconvenient time but they made every effort to see Preston. She said Preston looked 'stiff and a bit blank' and she was really worried about him. The next planned visit was for her birthday on May 8 but it was cancelled by the adoptive parents. In May, Mrs Cooper learned they had made a complaint against her and she said: 'I knew I would never see him again.' She later raised concerns that she felt they were hiding Preston from her.
May 15, 2023 - McGowan-Fazakerley made a 999 call. Varley was heard to say 'put it down' before the call was abandoned. Later, he called 111 from Varley's mother's house, reporting breathing difficulties. Two return calls were not answered and neither mentioned any health problems during a routine health visitor check the following day.
May 25, 2023 - Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital with a nose bleed. While in the hospital he had a seizure which doctors said was a febrile convulsion. Bruises were noted on Preston's head and the police were informed. An explanation was offered that Preston had just started crawling. Preston's social worker Amy Shepherdson was contacted but later informed she did not need to attend and the safeguarding referral was closed.
June 30, 2023 - Preston taken to hospital with a rash and temperature. Bruises were noted to Preston's head but Varley showed a video of Preston pulling a toy box onto himself to explain the bruising. This was accepted by doctors but it later emerged it could not have been the cause as the incident happened two weeks earlier and did not correspond with the age of the bruises.
July 4, 2023 - Social worker Amy Shepherdson visited and noticed Preston was pale and not his usual self. He tried to smile but this turned to a sad face. He wasn't really interested in his toys and just wanted to be held. The parents noticed he could be quite clumsy and his vision could be a factor. He had been referred for an eye check up. The parents were committed but had found it hard, she said.
July 6, 2023 - Preston was taken to hospital with a spiral fracture to his elbow. Varley claimed he had been holding his hands in the cot when Preston let go of one arm and twizzled backwards. He did not cry but Varley said he had heard a click. The following day he noticed the baby was not using that arm and Varley FaceTimed Ms Shepherdson, who told him to take Preston to A&E.
July 6, 2023 - Ms Shepherdson visited. She had been in contact with the hospital and reassured the parents 'they said they had absolutely no concerns.' In the witness box she said in hindsight a review probably should have taken place but there were no concerns raised by the medics who saw Preston and she had no concerns following her visit.
Early July, while Preston's arm was in a cast, Varley visited Janet Gee, a work colleague and head of year. She said he seemed agitated and said he was not bonding with Preston as he had hoped. He said he had dark thoughts about harming the baby by smothering him or drowning him in the bath, she said.
July 7, 2023 - Helen Magee, independent reviewing social worker for Oldham Council, visited the family. In her notes, she wrote: 'I visited you at home Preston. You were there with both your daddies (John and Jamie), sitting on a play mat merrily chewing on the toys you put to your mouth. Though you had an injury to your arm (spiral fracture) and so wasn't using that arm, you presented as perfectly happy and relaxed. I did watch your responses to your daddies quite carefully as I am aware you have had a few hospital admissions of late and this made me ponder a little as to if there was a problem that I couldn't see. I decided that there wasn't an issue as you and they presented as perfectly at ease and very affectionate towards each other. Daddy Jamie is clearly the main carer but Daddy John interacted freely with you as well and talked about you in glowing terms.'
