Giggling in his foster dad's lap, little Preston Davey's life was a picture of fun. After a difficult start which saw him removed from his birth mother Sarah Davey at five days old, the cheeky tot was thriving in the care of Sandra and Paul Cooper.
Preston's story has shocked the nation. As the man who murdered him begins a whole life prison sentence - and politicians call for action - it's now time to remember the little boy adored by all who met him.
Mr and Mrs Cooper had fostered more than 40 children in their 27 years as foster parents. After a lifetime of dedication, Preston was to be their last child before they retired from the vocation.
When he arrived at their home in Oldham, he weighed little over his birth weight of 5lb 7oz. "He was so small and vulnerable you couldn't help but love him immediately," Paul said.
Despite his troubled start, Preston thrived in the care of the Coopers, learning to smile early and enjoying his life. Mrs Cooper said: "Preston's face would light up when we looked at him. He was joyful, so content and happy, with sparkly smiling eyes."
Although his birth mother was unable to care for him herself, as she was returned to HMP Styal five days after giving birth, she maintained contact with her son upon her release from prison - until he was placed with Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley.
Ms Davey, who wept in court as she faced the sick couple, said: "The second he was placed in my arms, I fell completely in love with him. He was my baby, my only son, and from that day on I never wanted to let him go."
"For the first seven months of his life, I was lucky enough to spend precious time with him. He had the most beautiful smile, one that could light up any room, and the bond we shared was something everyone could see."
"Those memories should have brought me comfort - but instead, they are now mixed with pain, because I know what you put him through in his final months."
"The day he was taken from me was one of the worst days of my life. I had no choice in that decision. I tried to take some comfort in believing he would be safe, loved, and protected, and he was with his foster parents, Sandra and Paul, I trusted them, they and the system trusted you [Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley]. That trust was completely and unforgivably broken."
"Preston was innocent."
Mr Cooper said he and his wife had been so affected by Preston's death that they changed their decision to retire from fostering in order to protect other children in Preston's name.
He added: "Initially, I loved looking back at pictures and videos of Preston. However, I have found this difficult recently as I just picture the trauma and things I have heard about what happened to him."
"As a foster carer you have to put so much trust in the system and the persons responsible for caring for a child. What happened to Preston has caused me to lose that trust, thus affecting me socially and through being a foster carer. I don't see being a foster carer as an employment; more like a vocation."
"Preston had his whole life ahead of him, one that should have been a happy life with a new family. I will never ever forget him. I cannot express enough the pain that I am going through to even speak about this and the way his life was cut so short."
"I will never forget you, Preston."
Mrs Cooper said: "We could not retire after Preston died. We felt we had a duty to other children and could not sit back and enjoy ourselves knowing that other children were being abused, mistreated and could die. My husband Paul and I have continued to foster children to protect them."
"We are doing this for Preston, in his memory. Preston's death has changed my perspective on life; things I once felt were important I now feel are not. I realise that life is too short."
"Paul and I have previously felt that the best option for all our foster children was to leave us happy and healthy to go and live with a new permanent adoptive family. We now struggle with this, and I will feel mistrustful and anxious about any of our children leaving our care to live with strangers."
"Paul and I will often watch the videos we took of Preston when he was happy with us laughing and giggling, playing with his toys smiling. Preston's face would light up when we looked at him; he was joyful, so content and happy, with sparkly smiling eyes."
"That is how we want to remember him."
Ms Davey added in her statement: "Preston was wonderful, happy and lit up any room. He should be here today. He would be four years old. He should be getting ready to start school, learning, laughing, and living his life. Instead, he is forever thirteen months old."
"He will remain in our thoughts and prayers forever."
