Blackpool Victoria Hospital CEO issues statement after teacher convicted of Preston Davey's murder

A hospital boss has issued a statement after a Blackpool teacher was found guilty of the murder of a baby he was trying to adopt.

Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals which runs Blackpool Victoria Hospital, described the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey as “appalling” on the eve of his killer ex-South Shore Academy teacher Jamie Varley’s sentencing.

Preston was placed with Varley, branded “pure evil” by detectives, by Oldham Council and Adoption Now, less than four months before his death on July 27, 2023.

The youngster, who was removed from his birth mum Sarah Davey at five days old, moved in with Varley, 37, and his now ex-partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, at their home in Staining Road, Staining.

Prior to his death little Preston was admitted into Blackpool Victoria Hospital on three separate occasions.

On once occasion concerns were raise by medics who alerted police, but when officers arrived they were turned away by another medic who believed the tale spun by Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley.

Oldham Safeguarding Children Partnership (OSCP) now plans to reconvene a review into the baby’s placement after it was paused to allow the criminal trial to take place.

The review is expected to examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding and the involvement of agencies responsible for his welfare before his death.

This will involve the contact with medical professionals at Blackpool Victoria Hospital before his death.

Maggie Oldham, Chief Executive of Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said: “The appalling murder of Preston Davey has shocked us all and our thoughts remain with Preston's family and all the people affected by these terrible crimes.

“We are working closely with other agencies and are continuously improving our child safeguarding. We are committed to encouraging colleagues to speak up about anything they are not comfortable with or concerned about.

“We will now consider carefully all the evidence heard at the trial to identify if any further improvements are necessary, beyond the safeguards already in place.”

Lancashire Police began investigating what happened to Preston after they were called by medics to Blackpool Victoria Hospital to the sudden and unexpected death of a child on July 27, 2023.

They arrived at the hospital to discover a theatrical Varley screaming and shouting and refusing to accept baby Preston had passed away.

A post mortem examination confirmed he had suffered 40 trauma injuries, internally and externally, including tears and lacerations, with “in excess” of 30 ‘non-accidential’ bruises across his body.

Varley tried to explain away Preston’s death by claiming he had momentarily left him unattended in a bath. But officers could find no evidence of drowning.

Instead it is understood the youngster was the victim of sickening sexually abuse which led to his cardiac arrest.

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, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The pair, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining, will be sentenced at Preston Crown Court tomorrow.