Oldham Council and Adoption Now social workers tells jury they had no concerns about Preston Davey's adoption

The social worker assigned to look after a tragic 13-month-old baby boy prosecutors say was murdered by his adoptive dad told the jury despite three separate hospital stays she “had no concerns”.

Amy Shepherdson, Preston Davey’s social worker with Oldham Borough Council, was part of a team to find prospective adoptive parents and made home visits to Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley after the adoption placement.

Jamie Varley, 37, a former teacher at South Shore Academy is accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey, who died in Blackpool Victoria hospital on July 27, 2023.

His partner and co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of causing and allowing the death of a child; two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and sexual assault of a male child under 13.

Preston’s loving foster mum Sandra Cooper and her husband Paul had looked after Preston Davey after his birth in June 2022, when he was taken into care by Oldham Council, aged just five days old, until he was 10 months old and placed for adoption.

In just under the next four months after his adoption at the defendants’ home in Staining Road, Staining, he was allegedly routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries.

He died in hospital having suffered a collapse and cardiac arrest allegedly following a sexual assault by Varley.

Mrs Cooper told the jury she had a “gut feeling” something was wrong before Preston was allegedly sexually abused and murdered, after his adoptive parents made it “difficult” for her to maintain contact with them.

Preston Crown Court heard the social worker was asked about the three times Preston was taken to hospital in the just under four months he was with the defendants before his death.

Ms Shepherdson said on May 25, 2023, she was sent a Whatsapp message from Varley to say Preston was in hospital, diagnosed with a chest infection and was undergoing scans.

She said the hospital admission of a “looked after” child had raised a safeguarding issue and police officers visited the ward, but a medical explanation had been provided for the baby’s visit and this assuaged any concerns.

On June 30, Preston was taken to hospital again with a “fever” and the social worker conducted a home visit on July 4, where Ms Shepherdson noted the child was “pale and did not seem himself. Very little energy”, adding he was a little boy “that had been poorly”.

On July 10, Preston was again in hospital after a fracture to his left elbow.

Varley had made a video call to the social worker, explaining what happened, she said.

Ms Shepherdson said: “Jamie looked grey, he was beside himself, he was teary. He said Preston looked in pain. He had unintentionally hurt Preston.”

She said Varley told her the child had woken in the night, he had gone to settle the baby and when putting him back down in his cot, Preston had twisted and “he heard a sound like a knee clicking”.

Ms Shepherdson said after contacting the hospital and speaking to the ward sister, she was told there were no safeguarding worries and she visited Preston’s home that day.

Preston appeared his usual, playful self, Ms Shepherdson said, adding: “I did not have any concerns.”

Ms Shepherdson told the court her next involvement was on July 27, 2023.

“I got a phone call from John to advise that Preston had died,” she said.

Preston had been rushed into hospital unconscious and in a state of cardiac arrest, and medics could not revive him.

Varley told police the child had drowned while left in the bath.

A Home Office post-mortem examination found multiple non-accidental, internal and external injuries, and a cause of death to be acute upper airways obstruction by either smothering or an object or objects inserted into his mouth.

Victoria Readett, a social worker for Adoption Now, which works with Oldham Council also took the stand.

Speaking from the witness box, Ms Readett said Varley and McGowan-Fazackerley went through 'robust vetting' before Preston was handed over to them.

She explained stage one of the process involved a medical, both employer and personal references and DBS checks and was conducted between December 2021 and March 2022. Ms Readett explained she only carried out one home visit due to Covid restrictions at the time with the rest of the meetings taking place by Microsoft Teams.

Ms Readett said after stage one had been approved, Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazackerley made the decision to delay the next stage so Mr Varley could concentrate on getting his students through their exams.

She described Stage two, which began in September 2022, as being a "really robust home study" comprising at least eight home visits. She explained each applicant has an individual session talking about education, health, identity and health and safety at home.

The applicants also discussed children’s backgrounds, their lived experience and what they want from family life and how they can meet the needs of children.

In January 2023, Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazackerley completed stage two of the adoption process and a search went underway to find a suitable match for them.

A series of introductions were arranged by both Ms Readett and her colleague Amy Shepherdson.

Ms Shepherdson described Preston as "a beautiful little boy who completely lit up a room" claiming "he was doing really well in terms of his development."

Neither of the social workers say they had any concerns about the interactions between the couple and Preston during the process leading up to the handover on April 3, 2023.

In a report Ms Readett described how "Lovely interactions and a bond were observed throughout the visit" for Preston with Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazackerley during a home visit on April 12, 2024.

At the visit she described Preston as being dressed smartly and being very smiley and happy. She recorded: "Preston was in Jamie's arms upon arrival, we went into the kitchen and Preston was full of smiles and giggles."

Ms Readett said the couple did not give her reason to think they were covering anything up.

She said: "They never stopped me from visiting. I never got the sense that there was anything being hidden."

Varley, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining denies murder, manslaughter, 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, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining, denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The trial continues.