BLACKPOOL — The tragic murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey shocked the nation when prospective adopters Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley were convicted at Preston Crown Court. While the criminal trial concluded with a whole-life order for Varley and a 25-year sentence for McGowan-Fazakerley, unsealed hospital records and internal reviews have launched a critical new chapter in the case.
The focus has now shifted from the courtroom to a systemic review of local safeguarding practices. Medical logs, forensic timelines, and multi-agency records reveal a tragic trail of red flags and missed opportunities by social services, health visitors, and hospital staff during the four short months Preston spent in the couple’s care.
A Trail of Unheeded Red Flags
Born in June 2022, Preston spent his first nine months thriving in a loving foster home before being approved for adoption in March 2023. However, within weeks of being placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley, a sequence of alarming incidents began to unfold—many of which were documented in medical logs and agency reports that failed to trigger a protective intervention.
Between May and July 2023, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on multiple occasions:
-
May 11, 2023: A dropped 999 call from the residence was followed by a 111 report claiming Preston had breathing difficulties. An out-of-hours medical callback was arranged, but the couple failed to answer or seek further help.
-
May 25, 2023: Preston was brought to the hospital after Varley reported a seizure and breathing issues. Safeguarding staff notified police, but no criminal investigation followed after medical staff advised there were no clear signs of non-accidental injury.
-
July 6, 2023: Preston was admitted with a fractured upper arm. Varley offered conflicting explanations to medical staff and friends, yet the infant remained in his care.
Systemic Failures Under Scrutiny
Forensic reviews conducted after Preston’s tragic death on July 27, 2023, revealed that the infant had sustained over 40 traumatic injuries, including severe internal harm and a healing arm fracture. Digital evidence recovered from the defendants’ phones further confirmed a pattern of severe physical, psychological, and sexual abuse throughout his placement.
“Did that abuser hoodwink people under a professional guise?” asked Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel De Souza, describing the case as a “massive safeguarding failure”. “The social worker saw Preston just 20 days before he died.”
================================================================
SAFEGUARDING REVIEW TIMELINE (MAY - JULY 2023)
================================================================
MAY 11: Abandoned 999 call; missed 111 medical callback.
MAY 25: First hospital attendance (seizure/breathing report).
JULY 06: Hospital admission for fractured upper arm.
JULY 07: Social services visit following arm injury report.
JULY 27: Emergency arrival in cardiac arrest; pronounced dead.
================================================================
Demands for Institutional Accountability
The unsealing of these hospital logs has intensified calls for independent inquiries into how adoption panels, healthcare providers, and local police handled the case. Advocacy groups and Preston’s biological family have voiced profound heartbreak and outrage, stressing that the infant was left unprotected despite frequent contact with statutory agencies.
As independent safeguarding partner agencies begin formal review proceedings, the community remains focused on ensuring that systemic flaws are exposed and reformed to prevent such failures from ever happening again.