Pressure is growing for the independent review into the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey to also examine the case of two-year-old Damion Russell, who was murdered by his father weeks later at the same hospital. Both children died in Lancashire in 2023 after health professionals missed opportunities to intervene, raising serious questions about safeguarding practices.
Preston Davey Case Details
Preston Davey was subjected to sustained physical and sexual abuse by his adoptive father, Jamie Varley, before being killed in July 2023. During Varley's murder trial, jurors heard how he had persuaded clinicians that bruising on the toddler was accidental by showing them a video on his mobile phone. It later emerged that the footage had been recorded 12 days earlier and could not account for more recent injuries. Varley was convicted of murder, rape, and a series of other offences, receiving a whole-life prison sentence. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, was jailed for 25 years after being convicted of allowing the death of a child and sexual offences.
Damion Russell Case Details
Damion Russell was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in June 2023, one day before Preston made the final of three visits to the same accident and emergency department. A safeguarding practice review later found hospital staff noticed a bruise on Damion’s head but failed to ask his father, Daniel Hardcastle, how the injury had occurred. The review concluded that this fell short of expected safeguarding practice. Hardcastle went on to murder his son in August 2023. During sentencing at Preston Crown Court, the judge said Damion had suffered a “horrifically violent” attack. The child died from a brain injury and was found to have extensive injuries across his body, including an adult bite mark. Hardcastle, 31, was jailed for life in July 2024 and ordered to serve a minimum term of 22 years. The court heard he had only recently been granted sole custody of Damion before the killing.
Systemic Failures and Calls for Inquiry
The deaths of both boys have prompted scrutiny of safeguarding systems. Each child had recently been removed from foster care before being placed with the adults who ultimately killed them. Blackpool South MP Chris Webb, speaking to the BBC, backed calls for a wider inquiry and stated: "We need to do better, and we know that the state has been failing these young kids, young babies." Fylde MP Andrew Snowden has also called for a public inquiry into possible safeguarding shortcomings linked to Preston’s death. Hannah Joy Hocking, who has supported Damion’s mother following the case, said: "I feel like Preston's getting a lot of attention at the moment and I do feel like Damion got a little bit left behind."
