'The most amazing little boy who lit up room' Preston Davey's foster dad speaks of 'boy with infectious smile'

Paul Cooper and wife Sandra fostered Preston Davey before he was adopted the by couple who would kill him.

Lancashire High school teacher Jamie Varley, 37, is facing a mandatory life sentence for the murder of Preston Davey, whom he adopted at nine months old with his partner, ex-public schoolboy and financial sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32.

In an emotional statement, which we have included here in full, Paul spoke of a child ‘ who lit up the room’.

“ I find myself waking up three or four times during the night thinking about Preston.” said Paul.

“In 2022 myself and Sandra fostered Preston from five days old and brought him up as our own, as we always do with all our foster children. Preston was an absolute pleasure to look after, he was the most amazing little boy who lit up the room as you walked into it. He was so small and vulnerable you couldn't help but love him immediately. Preston's smile was infectious and he brightened up my day from the second he woke up. We built a strong bond with him during his time with us.

“We fostered Preston until he was nine, nearly 10 months old. By this time he had developed his little personality and was thriving. Saying goodbye to him and handing him over to Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley was extremely difficult. However, we believed at the time that this was the best thing for Preston and he was going to a loving family. What happened after this I still cannot bear to think about.

“In 2023 we found out about Preston’s death via a social worker. This was less than four months after he had left us. Since this over the past few years we have had to find out what really happened to Preston in 'dribs and drabs'. This has devastated me - fostering Preston felt like he was my own child and to hear the cruel things that happened to him in such a short space of time has emotionally and physically drained me. Even to this day I tell myself this is not real or possible, then reality hits and it breaks me again to think about the suffering Preston went through. I have found that this has affected me personally - since this I find myself waking up three or four times during the night thinking about Preston. Sometimes I can be awake for hours thinking about it.”

Paul said the impact has been immeasurable.

“I never thought I was an emotional person, however, these past three years I haven't gone through a week without crying, sometimes it might not be anything to do with Preston or this case however, I just become upset over little things. I feel like a totally different person. I even get anxious when the children leave my sight within my own home. I think about the world and the people out there and if these so called 'respectable' person/s can do this then anyone could - I do not trust anybody anymore. There hasn't been a day go by that I haven't thought about Preston and what he went through. I just wish we could have kept him.

“In the process of Preston being adopted myself and Sandra decided to retire from fostering after he had gone to his new family. We spent a very short time without any children other than the odd few days covering respite. After Preston’s death (during our retirement) we got a phone call to ask if we would foster three siblings. Normally it would have been Sandra saying yes and I would weigh things up. However, I immediately said yes, I couldn't handle the thought of the siblings going to another family and not knowing what could happen to them. This thought is at the forefront of my mind every single day. It should be a positive thought of finding a family for the children however it has made me very anxious about where they are going and to who. I already know that these next steps are going to bring back memories of Preston and I am going to be extremely anxious.

“During the trial Sandra has attended in person as I needed to stay at home to support our current foster children, however I have been following the live updates online. I had to do this to show support for Preston however hearing what happened to him has been heartbreaking and caused so much anxiety and stress. I am really struggling to put into words how this has emotionally affected me, I feel like I have lost my own child.

“Initially I loved looking back at pictures and videos of Preston. However, I have found this difficult recently as I just picture the trauma and things I have heard about what happened to him.

“As a foster carer you have to put so much trust in the system and the persons responsible for caring for a child. What happened to Preston has caused me to lose that trust, thus affecting me socially and through being a foster carer. I don't see being a foster carer as an 'employment' more like a vocation.

“Preston had his whole life ahead of him, one that should have been a happy life with a new family. I will never ever forget him. I cannot express enough the pain that I am going through to even speak about this and the way his life was cut so short. I will never forget you Preston.”