A foster mother has told a court that something went wrong before her 13-month-old child was sexually abused and killed by her adoptive parents.
Sandra Cooper and her husband fostered Preston from birth until he was 10 months old, Preston Crown Court heard.
In April 2023, she moved in with high school teacher Jamie Varley, 37, and her friend John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, but Cooper told the jury she was “worried” and felt the men were “hiding” Preston from her when they tried to meet.
Varley is accused of murdering and abusing Preston, and McGowan-Fazakerley is accused of allowing his death and assaulting him. Both deny all allegations.
The court heard Preston, born in June 2022, was looked after at five days old.
Cooper said of the youngster: “He was beautiful, he was happy, he laughed, he smiled really quickly.
“Just a really loving kid. He loved cuddles. He was living a really good life.”
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Warning: The following court evidence contains information that some readers may find disturbing
Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazzakerley deny all the allegations against them [PA/Elizabeth Cook]
Over the next four months after his adoption at the defendant’s home in Blackpool, the prosecution alleges Preston was regularly abused, had indecent photographs and videos taken of him, sexually assaulted and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries.
She died in hospital on 27 July 2023 after allegedly collapsing and cardiac arrest after allegedly being sexually assaulted by Varley.
‘Feel like something went wrong’
Cooper, who has fostered 43 children over 27 years, says Preston was gradually introduced to the adoptive parents before he was finally given up for adoption and the child moved into the defendant’s home on April 3, 2023.
But, later, she claimed that the defendants made her planned visit to see the child difficult.
Cooper told the jury it was difficult to get access to see Preston and complained to a social worker.
She said: “I was worried. I felt something was wrong. I thought they were hiding him from me.
“It’s just my, call it a gut feeling. I had a feeling something was wrong.”
Amy Shepherdson, who was a social worker in Preston at Oldham Borough Council, was part of a team to find potential adoptive parents and visited the home after the adoption.
In court, the social worker was asked about Preston being taken to hospital three times in less than four months before he died with the defendants.
The court heard he developed a chest infection before being taken to hospital after developing a fever and then breaking his left elbow on July 10.
Shepherdson went home after a second hospital visit and another fracture.
She said she spoke to a hospital ward nurse about the fracture and was told there were no safety concerns.
She went to Preston’s house but was not worried, she said.
Baby Preston was taken to the hospital three times in four months [Lancashire Police]
Shepherdson told the court she heard from another couple on 27 July 2023 when she was told Preston had died.
The baby boy was taken to hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest, and medics were unable to revive him, the court heard.
Varli told the police that the child drowned while taking a bath.
A post-mortem examination found multiple non-accidental, internal and external injuries, and the cause of death was either acute obstruction of the upper airway or the insertion of an object or objects into his mouth.
Varley denies murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by trespass, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual abuse of a child, 13 counts of taking an indecent photograph or video of a child, distributing an indecent photograph of a child, to his co-accused, and making an indecent photograph.
McGowan-Fazzakerley pleads guilty to the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of sexual abuse of a child.
The hearing continues.
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