Preston Davey was murdered (Image: Lancashire Police)
Preston Davey had been taken to hospital three times, was seen by a “battery of professionals” and police were even called in the weeks leading up to his death. Social workers, teachers, doctors and nurses all saw Preston, a “highly visible” looked-after child, Preston Crown Court was told. A Child Safeguarding Practice Review, launched by Oldham Council after the baby’s death, was paused during criminal proceedings and is expected to recommence after the conclusion of the trial.
One element of the review is expected to focus on whether any opportunities were missed in Preston‘s care before his death. Born four weeks early, weighing 5lb 7oz, his mother, convicted killer Sarah Davey, was living at the time on the mother and baby unit at women’s prison HMP Styal.
At just five days old Preston was taken into emergency care by Oldham Council via an interim care order and placed with foster parents, with whom he remained for the first nine months of his life.
While in foster care Preston was a happy, bubbly baby and despite a slight reflux issue, was described as “thriving”.
Preston Crown Court heard secondary school head of year Jamie Varley, 37, and his boyfriend, financial sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley, 37, were also thriving in their careers and in their relationship and wanted to start a family.
They entered the process, training partly done online because of the Covid pandemic and in January 2023 were approved as prospective adoptive parents by Adoption Now, an organisation used by local councils.
Adoption Now concluded Preston Davey needed “love, affection, safety and stability” and at his pre-adoption medical the doctor’s notes said: “Absolutely gorgeous, happy, alert. Constant smiles.”
Jamie Varley (left) and John McGowan-Fazakerley adopted Preston when he was nine months old (Image: Lancashire Police)
Both Preston and the parents were assigned social workers from Oldham Council. They began the familiarisation process with Preston by visiting him at the home of foster parents, Sandra and Paul Cooper.
Mrs Cooper said she had to show the new parents virtually everything that was needed to look after a baby. Later, she called a social worker after struggling to get to see Preston after his adoption, saying she had a “gut feeling” something was wrong.
Preston spent his first night at the defendants’ home in Blackpool on April 1 and two days later was “move day” as Preston settled in with his adopted parents and their pet dog Maximus.
Within days problems began to emerge as the defendants learned about the sleep deprivation and “roller-coaster” of becoming new parents.
In the first week Varley texted his sister, a baby sleep trainer, saying: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every one and a half hours.”
On the evening of May 15, McGowan-Fazakerley made, then abandoned, a 999 call, and the operator only heard a voice saying: “Put it down…”
The operator returned the call, but was told it was supposed to be to 111 to report Preston having “breathing problems”.
The next day a health visitor made a scheduled call to the house and Preston was reported as appearing well.
At 11.10am on May 25, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, for the first of three visits in three months. Floppy and unresponsive, Varley reported he had a nose bleed, seizure and breathing difficulties.
But paediatric sister Zoe Hellowell and Nurse Holly Edwards noticed bruising on Preston’s head. A medical report says Preston had “unexplained injuries, inconsistent with a version of events given…”
Hospital safeguarding was informed and social services and Lancashire Police called. But after discussion with medical staff the bruises on a baby learning to walk were not regarded as suspicious, a medical explanation had been given for the injuries, and the matter ended there.
On June 30, Preston was back in hospital for a second time. At about 8.25pm, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley took him in with a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and high temperature. Medics again noted bruising to Preston’s head.
They were shown a home video of Preston playing and pulling a toy box on to himself, by way of explanation, Varley commenting: “You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something.”
It was only later it was discovered the toy box video was filmed 12 days earlier, so an unlikely explanation for the bruises.
Preston’s third visit to the same hospital came on the morning of July 6.
Varley took him in for an injury to his left arm, which he said was sustained while putting him in his cot the previous evening, though he appeared to give different and inconsistent explanations to different people. After X-ray a cast was applied for a fractured elbow.
The same day the child’s social worker, Amy Shepherdson, who had been in contact with the hospital, texted Varley to say: “Just to reassure you they said they had absolutely no concerns. U absolutely did the right thing.”
She visited the family home, but there were no concerns raised. A day later Helen Magee, an independent reviewer from Oldham social services, visited Preston at home.
In her report of the visit, apparently addressed to the baby, she wrote: “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…”
Varley had taken a year off work as head of year, and textiles and design teacher, at South Shore Academy in Blackpool. He was still in touch with colleagues, asking one to get him a prescription for anti-depressant drugs, which she declined.
In the first week of July, he made a surprise visit with Preston, arm in a cast, to fellow teacher Janet Gee. Ms Gee said Varley told her he was struggling mentally and having “dark thoughts” about drowning or suffocating Preston.
Later that month Varley rushed the child to hospital a final time, claiming the baby had drowned in the bath.
Varley on Monday (June 15) was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.
McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.
Adoption Now and Oldham Council have been approached for statements after the conclusion of the trial.