The case of 13-month-old Preston Davey became one of the UK’s most heartbreaking child protection cases. Here are 6 facts that reveal what happened behind the headlines:

1. Preston was only 13 months old when his life came to a tragic end.
2. Jamie Varley was a trusted secondary school teacher before the case came to light.
3. The court heard a version of events that medical experts later challenged.

Fact 4 is…

…that a social worker personally texted the abuser reassuring him that hospital staff had “absolutely no concerns” and that “you absolutely did the right thing” — just four days after the baby’s third and final hospital admission for a broken elbow.

On July 6, 2023, 10-month-old Preston was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after suffering a fractured left elbow. Varley claimed the injury happened the night before when the baby jumped or kicked his feet in his cot. X-rays confirmed the fracture; a cast was applied.

Within hours, Preston’s social worker from Oldham Council — Amy Shepherdson — texted Varley after speaking to hospital staff: “Just to reassure you they said they had absolutely no concerns. U absolutely did the right thing.”

Shepherdson then visited the family home later that same day. In her notes she recorded that Preston looked “pale and not himself” and had a “very sad face and a little cry.” Yet she raised no safeguarding concerns and concluded everything was fine.

This text — sent straight to the man who was already abusing the child — was heard in full during the eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court. The jury was shown the WhatsApp exchange between Varley and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley at the exact same time: “Your son’s in hospital. I strangled him.” Varley later deleted the message, but the court had it.

The “no concerns” reassurance came days before Preston died on July 27. It was the final piece of evidence that social services and hospital staff had failed to spot the pattern of injuries — despite three separate A&E visits, unexplained bruises, seizures, and a broken arm.

This is the moment that left even seasoned prosecutors stunned. How many times, the court asked, does a social worker have to see a baby with a broken bone before they act?

The text is now part of the official record. It has forced Oldham Council to relaunch its Child Safeguarding Practice Review and prompted the government to promise “multi-agency protection teams in every local authority area” within months.

Because when a social worker who was supposed to protect a child sends the message that “everything is fine” to the man killing him — that is when the system is no longer just failing. It is actively shielding the abuser.

Read the full investigation below.