Were there missed opportunities to save Preston Davey?

Preston Davey who was murdered by his adoptive father was taken to hospital three times and was seen by a number of professionals in the weeks before his death.

A child safeguarding practice review, launched by Oldham Council after the baby's death, was paused during criminal proceedings.

Jamie Varley, 37, was convicted of killing and sexually abusing the 13 month old over a four-month period on Tuesday.

His partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was found guilty of sexual assault, child cruelty and allowing the death of a child.

The pair will be sentenced on Thursday 18 June.

The child safeguarding practice review has now resumed with one element focusing on whether any opportunities were missed in the care of Preston before his death.

Here is a timeline of the key moments outlined during the trial at Preston Crown Court.

16 June, 2022

Preston Davey is born four weeks early, weighing 5lb 7oz to Sarah Davey at Wythenshawe Hospital in south Manchester.

21 June, 2022

Five days later he is placed into emergency care with foster parents by Oldham Council via an interim care order, where he remains for the first nine months of his life.

6 January, 2023

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley are approved for adoption by Adoption Now, a company providing services to local councils.

13 February, 2023

The couple have their first visit to see Preston at his foster parent's home.

1 April, 2023

Preston spends his first night at their home in Blackpool and is formally placed under the care of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley.

6 April, 2023

Varley texts his sister, a baby sleep trainer, saying: "He's dead meat today. Didn't sleep last night after 23:30 BST. Up every one and a half hours."

25 May, 2023

Preston is rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 11:10, floppy and unresponsive with Varley reporting a seizure and breathing difficulties.

Nursing staff notice bruising to Preston's head.

A medical report states Preston had "unexplained injuries, inconsistent with a version of events given…"

Hospital safeguarding are informed and social services and Lancashire Police called.

Following discussions with medical staff, the bruises to a baby learning to walk are not regarded as suspicious.

30 June, 2023

At about 20:25, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley take Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital A&E Department, reporting the child has a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and high temperature.

Medics note bruising to Preston's head, but staff are shown a home video of the child pulling a toy box on to himself while playing, by way of explanation.

Varley comments: "You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something."

It is later discovered the toy box video was filmed 12 days earlier.

6 July, 2023

Varley takes Preston to hospital at 10:40 for third time with injury to his left arm.

He said it was sustained while putting him in his cot the previous evening.

After an X-ray, a cast is applied for a fractured elbow.

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 visits the home and notes Preston had a "very sad face and a little cry".

7 July, 2023

Preston is visited at home by Helen Magee, an independent reviewer from Oldham social services.

The same week Varley tells a work colleague he is struggling mentally and having "dark thoughts" about drowning or suffocating Preston.

23 July, 2023

Varley takes a series of photos of Preston, stretching over a period of three minutes and 12 seconds.

The child, asleep or unconscious, has his head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot and his neck resting on it, his body partially suspended and his legs in a "frog-like" position.

His tongue is protruding and his lips appear blue.

27 July, 2023

At 16:45, Varley records a 35-second video on his phone of Preston in "extreme respiratory distress" taking an "agonal gasp" and needing resuscitation.

At 18:30 Preston is rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in a critical condition, Varley says he found the child submerged in the bath.

A team of paramedics, nurses and doctors attempt to resuscitate for 50 minutes but Preston is pronounced dead at 19:18.

31 July, 2023

Home Office post-mortem examination concludes Preston's cause of death as acute upper airway obstruction and rules out drowning.

The autopsy also found about 40 external and internal injuries including bruises to Preston's forehead, throat, mouth, bladder, bottom and bleeding in the lungs with some evidence of "forcible penetration" to the child's "abnormal" anatomy regarded as clinical signs of sexual abuse.

20 April, 2026

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley go on trial. They deny all offences against them.

15 June, 2026

Varley 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.

Following the verdict, a spokesperson for Oldham Council said said it was thankful "the perpetrators of the sickening murder and abuse of an innocent child" had been convicted for their crimes.

"An independent child safeguarding practice review is already under way, which will examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding."

A spokesperson for Adoption Now added that this was "a deeply upsetting case".

"Adoption Now follows a strict and rigorous process in line with all relevant legislation and guidance in the assessment and approval of adopters," the spokesperson said.

Lancashire Police said: "On 25 May 2023, Varley took Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital stating he had breathing difficulties and that he had suffered a seizure.

"Police were contacted by safeguarding staff at the hospital, and detectives from our child protection team attended.

"However, medical staff indicated there were no concerns around potential non-accidental injury.

"As a result, we did not see baby Preston, Varley or McGowan-Fazakerley that day.

"This was the only time police received contact from hospital staff regarding Preston Davey until the day he died."

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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