Blackpool Victoria Hospital missed opportunities to help second murdered child one day after Preston Davey

Medics at Blackpool Victoria Hospital have ‘received support around escalating safeguarding concerns’ after it was revealed an opportunity was missed to help another murdered Blackpool child the day before Preston Davey was seen.

Two-year-old Damion Russell was subjected to a ‘horrifically violent’ attack at the hands of his father Daniel Hardcastle on August 19, 2023.

Damion had been placed with his dad in May 2023 after Hardcastle fought to have sole custody.

But just three months later on August 19, 2023, Hardcastle rang the emergency services saying his son was unresponsive and injured at their home on Blackpool’s Central Drive.

He had suffered an unsurvivable brain injury and was pronounced dead two days later on August 21.

A safeguarding review by the multi-agency Blackpool Safeguarding Children panel found there was a missed opportunity to pick up on what had been happening to little Damion.

He had been seen by medics at The Vic on June 29 2023 - a day before a poorly Preston Davey was taken to A&E with bruising.

Both children’s admissions failed to trigger an intervention from authorities. Safeguarding rules require medics to question family members over the cause of injuries and bruises to children.

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb described the missed opportunities as “deeply concerning”.

The safeguarding review report said: “The only time practitioners did not follow expected practice was when Child A was taken to hospital, having suffered a febrile convulsion, on 29th June 2023.

“It was noted that Child A had an “old, mild black bruise spot” on his forehead. The father was not asked about this, which was the expected practice.”

Preston Davey was just 13-months-old when he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac arrested after suffering a fatal sexual assault at the hands of ex-South Shore Academy teacher Jamie Varley.

He had been seen by medics on three other occasions before he died, including a second occasion on June 30, 2023 the day after Damion Russell had been admitted.

Evil Varley, who had been in the process of adopting Preston with partner and co-abuser John McGowan-Fazakerley, had been caring for the tragic youngster for less than four months at their home in Staining Road, Staining when he died.

After being handed a whole life sentence, the former textiles teacher faces dying behind bars. His now ex-partner McGowan Fazakerley, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for causing the death of a child and sexual assault.

Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said work was already underway before the review into Damion Russell’s death was published to support staff in the Emergency Department and in other areas where children are cared for.

Tattoo artist Hardcastle, 31, claimed the toddler had fallen and banged his head, but medical evidence proved that Damion’s death was caused by a violent assault.

He was found guilty of murder on July 11, 2024 and subsequently sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison.

Chris Webb, Blackpool South MP said: “That safeguarding opportunities appear to have been missed by Blackpool Victoria Hospital in the case of Damion Russell, as well as in Preston Davey's case, just a day apart in 2023, is deeply concerning.

"No two cases are the same but when multiple children suffer the most tragic outcomes imaginable despite being seen by professionals, it is right that serious questions are asked. That is exactly why I have been calling for a public inquiry following Preston's death.

"This isn't about blaming individual frontline workers who do an incredibly difficult job. It's about understanding why opportunities to protect these children were missed, whether wider systemic failures played a role and how we make sure it never happens again.

“Preston Davey and Damion Russell deserved better. We now have a duty to learn every possible lesson from their deaths and ensure other vulnerable children do not suffer the same fate."

Damion’s foster carers described him as “a delight” who would “light up any room with his smile and his chuckle”. They said the blonde blue-eyed boy loved bathtime and was a very sensory child, mesmerised by light and crinkle toys.

For the first 10 months of his life Damion lived with his mother but he was then taken into care, along with his half-siblings, as ordered by the court, because his mother was deemed unable to care for them.

Between 14th July 2022 and 2nd February 2023 Damion had 60 supervised sessions with Hardcastle in the community. Each of the 60 sessions was held in the same Family Hub. The community assessment was positive and on 6th February 2023 Damion and his father were placed in a family residential assessment setting, for a further three and a half months of assessment. The safeguarding review said the outcomes of these assessments, in the community and in the residential setting were extremely positive.

Hardcastle continued to have follow up visits by social workers even after he moved into the property on Central Drive.

Hardcastle was also supported by Dad Matters, an organisation that sits under HomeStart, which provides support to fathers.

But after Damion’s paternal grandmother stopped being able to help out after becoming ill, Hardcastle stopped taking the youngster regularly to a state funded play group.

The safeguarding review concluded: “The review team has also concluded that the Father did have genuine relationships with professionals, until he started to become overwhelmed by the pressure of his responsibilities.

“When these responsibilities began to exceed his capacity, from late July, he started withdrawing from services.”

The relevant statutory checks were done in relation to the Hardcastle. He was known to the police for a reprimand for assault when he was a child, an allegation of assault by a taxi driver, on which there was insufficient evidence to prosecute, and two allegations from the Mother of Child A, which were not pursued.

The safeguarding review concluded: “Certain aspects of professional and agency practice were found not to meet expected standards, as identified in this report. While continuous learning is necessary for all agencies, it is important to note that child A’s death was not attributable to professional practice.

The report added: “It is concluded that the central issue in this case was the father losing the support of the paternal grandmother, as well as experiencing his mother’s illness and his fears regarding the possibility of his son being removed from his care. Despite positive relationships with several professionals, whom he said he found supportive, he said he did not disclose his concerns due to these fears. It was these factors that the father said rendered him unable to tell anyone how much he was struggling, until it was too late, most importantly and tragically for Child A, but also too late for the Father, who will now spend a minimum of 22 years in prison for the murder of his son.”

Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “This was a deeply tragic and upsetting case, and our thoughts remain with Damion’s family and loved ones.

“The safeguarding review was shared with the Trust in November 2025 and we fully accept its findings.

“Although the review made no specific recommendations relating to Damion’s treatment while under the care of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, we recognise the importance of continuing to strengthen practice and provide reassurance to families using our services.

“Importantly, work was already underway before the review was published to support staff in the Emergency Department and in other areas where children are cared for. This has focused on making sure appropriate examinations take place, that staff are confident in asking the right questions, and that any concerns are considered and escalated in line with safeguarding processes.

“Families bringing their children to our hospital can expect our teams to ask questions about any bumps, bruises or other injuries identified, whether recent or older. For babies who are not walking independently, our teams will carry out a full examination while they are in the Emergency Department.”

The Blackpool Gazette and sister title the Lancashire Post, backed by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Preston's birth parents Sarah Davey and Gary Nolan, are calling on the government to launch a national inquiry into the safeguarding failures that cost Preston his life.

So far more than 60,000 have signed the petition.

What is the petition calling for?

The petiton is calling on a nation inquiry to answer the following questions:

- Why were repeated warning signs - three hospital admissions, an abuser's own admission of dark thoughts, routine social worker contact - not acted on?

- Should children placed outside their home authority automatically be assigned a local social worker with direct oversight of their care?

- How are repeat hospital admissions for children in care shared between the NHS, the placing authority, and the authority where the child lives?

- Are adoption vetting procedures rigorous enough to stop prospective adopters hiding behind a false front?

We need you to sign this petition and demand the government acts.

Every child who comes after Preston deserves better too.

Join our calls for a public inquiry by signing our change.org petition here.