Adoptive parents 'hid abused baby from foster mum'

The foster mother of a baby boy has told a court she had a "gut feeling" something was wrong before the 13-month-old was allegedly sexually abused and murdered by his adoptive parents.

Sandra Cooper and her husband had fostered Preston from after his birth until he was 10 months old, Preston Crown Court heard.

In April 2023, he went to live with high school teacher Jamie Varley, 37, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, but Cooper told the jury she was "worried" and felt the men were "hiding" Preston from her when she tried to visit.

Varley is accused of killing and abusing Preston, and McGowan-Fazakerley is accused of allowing his death and assaulting him. Both men deny all the charges.

The court heard Preston was taken into care at five days old after he was born in June 2022.

Cooper said of the youngster: "He was beautiful, he was happy, he laughed, he smiled really early.

"Just a really lovable baby. He loved cuddles. He was just having a really nice life."

• Warning: The following court evidence contains information some readers may find distressing

In just under the next four months after his adoption at the defendants' home in Blackpool, the prosecution allege that Preston was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, was sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries.

He died in hospital on 27 July 2023 having suffered a collapse and cardiac arrest allegedly following a sexual assault by Varley.

Cooper, who has fostered 43 children over 27 years, said there was a gradual familiarisation with the adoptive parents before finally giving Preston up for adoption and the child moving into the defendants' home on 3 April 2023.

But, afterwards, planned visits by her to see the child had been made difficult by the defendants, she claimed.

Cooper told the jury she had difficulty getting access to see Preston and made a complaint to a social worker.

She said: "I was worried. I felt like something is wrong. I felt like they were hiding him from me.

"It's just my, call it gut feeling. I felt like something was wrong."

Amy Shepherdson, who was Preston's social worker with Oldham Borough Council, had been part of a team to find prospective adoptive parents and had made home visits after the adoption.

In court, the social worker was asked about the three times Preston was taken to hospital in just under four months that he was with the defendants before his death.

The court heard he had been diagnosed with a chest infection, before being taken to hospital with a fever, and then a fracture to his left elbow on 10 July.

Shepherdson had visited the home after the second hospital visit and again after the fracture.

She said she had spoken to the hospital ward's sister about the fracture and had been told there were no safeguarding worries.

She visited Preston's home but did not have any concerns, she said.

Shepherdson told the court that she next heard from the couple on 27 July 2023 when she was told Preston had died.

The baby boy had been taken into hospital unconscious and in a state of cardiac arrest, and medics could not revive him, the court heard.

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

A 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.

Varley 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 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.

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