Baby Preston Davey only lived for four months with the defendants before his death. Here is the timeline of the significant events in his short life.

2022

– June 16

Preston Davey is born four weeks early, weighing 5lb 7oz to Sarah Davey at Wythenshawe Hospital, south Manchester.

– June 21

Five days later he is placed into emergency care with foster parents by Oldham Council via an interim care order, where he remains for the first nine months of his life.

2023

– January 6

Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley are approved for adoption by Adoption Now, a company providing services to local councils. The company says Preston needs: “Love, affection, safety and stability.”

– February 13

They make first visit to see Preston at his foster parent’s home.

– April 1

Preston spends his first night at the defendants’ home in Staining Road, Blackpool, and is formally placed under the care of the defendants.

– April 6

Varley texts his sister, a baby sleep trainer, saying: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours.”

– May 25

At 11.10am Preston is rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, floppy and unresponsive, Varley reporting a seizure and breathing difficulties. Nursing staff notice bruising to Preston’s head. A medical report states Preston had “unexplained injuries, inconsistent with a version of events given…”

Hospital safeguarding are informed and social services and Lancashire Police called.

Following discussion with medical staff the bruises to a baby learning to walk are not regarded as suspicious.

– June 30

At around 8.25pm, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley take Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital A&E Department, reporting the child has a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting and high temperature.

Medics note bruising to Preston’s head, but staff are shown a home video of the child pulling a toy box on to himself while playing, by way of explanation. Varley comments: “You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something.”

It is later discovered the toy box video was filmed 12 days earlier.

– July 6

At 10.36am Varley takes Preston to hospital for third time with injury to his left arm sustained he said while putting him in his cot the previous evening. After X-ray, a cast is applied for a fractured elbow.

The child’s social worker, Amy Shepherdson, who had been in contact with the hospital, texted Varley to say: “Just to reassure you they said they had absolutely no concerns. U absolutely did the right thing.”

She visits the home and notes Preston had a “very sad face and a little cry”.

– July 7

Preston is visited at home by Helen Magee, an independent reviewer from Oldham social services.

The same week Varley tells a work colleague he is struggling mentally and having “dark thoughts” about drowning or suffocating Preston.

– July 23

Varley takes a series of photos of Preston, stretching over a period of three minutes, 12 seconds. The child, asleep or unconscious, has his head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot and his neck resting on it, his body partially suspended and his legs in a “frog-like” position. His tongue is protruding and his lips appear blue.

– July 27

At 4.45pm, Varley records a 35-second video on his phone of Preston in “extreme respiratory distress” taking an “agonal gasp” and needing resuscitation.

At 6.30pm Preston is rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in a critical condition, Varley says he found the child submerged in the bath.

A team of paramedics, nurses and doctors attempt to resuscitate for 50 minutes but Preston is pronounced dead at 7.18pm.

– July 31

Home Office post-mortem examination concludes Preston’s cause of death as acute upper airway obstruction and rules out drowning.

The autopsy also found around 40 external and internal injuries including bruises to Preston’s forehead, throat, mouth, bladder, bottom and bleeding in the lungs with some evidence of “forcible penetration” to the child’s “abnormal” anatomy regarded as clinical signs of sexual abuse.

2026

– April 20

Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley go on trial denying all offences.

– June 15

Varley was found guilty of murder, 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 was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

A Scottish showbiz presenter said the nation has “a better chance than we think” at qualifying for the next stage of the World Cup.

Jodie McCallum, 34, is a freelance TV host, known for her work with the BBC, ITV and ITN, having interviewed celebrities including Robert DeNiro, Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt.

She has temporarily swapped TV presenting to produce content for the social media channels of The Haven, Boston’s only dedicated Scottish bar, which held a huge watch party for their World Cup 2026 debut match against Haiti, which Scotland won 1-0.

McCallum has been interviewing customers and staff at the bar while the Tartan Army takeover of the city has taken place, stating: “We don’s know when Scotland are going to be back in the World Cup, so now is our time, this is the dream.”

On Scotland’s last appearance in the World Cup, she said: “I was six the first time, so obviously I don’t remember it, but as soon as we got the draw, I thought, ‘we have to go, we’ve got to be a part of it.’

“It’s been 28 years, we’ve got to support the boys, you know what I mean? I know a lot of people put us down, and I think we probably put ourselves down the most, but actually, considering we absolutely hammered Bolivia, I think we’ve got a better chance than we think.

“We might be the underdog, but I think we’re going to do alright.”

Andrew Watson died on October 10, 2019, at the Cecil Court supported living complex in Langley Moor after his condition ‘rapidly deteriorated’ hours after he had visited his GP.

A week-long inquest into Andrew’s death at Crook Coroners’ Court began on Monday (June 15) and heard recordings of 999 calls where Andrew was wheezing and struggling to speak.

During his first call at 5.38pm he told the operator he was having difficulty breathing and had passed out.

He also said he had been struggling for two days, felt hot to the touch and had swelling on his throat that had become “worse”. He reported chest pain which had started within the previous hour, pain in his back and added: “I have not been well, been coughing blood.”

The operator told him an ambulance would arrive in around 18 minutes before ending the call by saying: “We will be with you as soon as we can”.

(Image: FAMILY)

Andrew called 999 again at 6.23pm, telling a second operator: “I can’t breath, I am struggling to breath.”

After telling them he had vomited a mug and a half of blood from, the operator said an ambulance was already on the way and stated the 18-minute wait was “still appropriate for the symptoms you have got”, adding that he should “let them know if your symptoms are getting worse.”

Just 12 minutes later at 6.35pm, support worker Beverley Richardson answered a 999 call after hearing a thud and finding Andrew had collapsed.

She told the inquest: “By this time his colour had changed and he was turning blue.”

Taking over the call, she immediately informed the operator: “He’s having difficulty breathing, he’s turning a blue colour.”

When asked if he was awake, she replied: “No, he is unresponsive.” Asked if he was breathing, she said: “Yes, but laboured, he’s going blue in colour.”

(Image: FAMILY)

An ambulance arrived shortly after at 6.45pm, 67 minutes after the initial 999 call.

He was declared dead an hour later 7.45pm.

Ms Richardson said Andrew had appeared well in the hours leading up to his death, she said she asked if he was okay, and he told her he was going to call 111 because “his throat still hurt”.

She added there was “nothing to suggest he was in pain or having problems,” but added that his deterioration was a ‘rapid progression’ after he collapsed. She added she had not seen him coughing up blood or lose consciousness.

(Image: FAMILY)

Pathologist Dr Clive Bloxham concluded Andrew died from respiratory failure caused by airway obstruction due to quinsy – a rare complication of tonsillitis in which an abscess forms in the throat.

After initially not being able to find a cause of death, he requested additional information from the North East Ambulance Service before finally determining the cause of death in March 2020. He concluded Andrew had suffered with quinsy.

Dr Bloxham told the court he had encountered only three cases of quinsy during his 40-year career and said that his case ‘seemed to have progressed very rapidly’.

Earlier on the day he died, Andrew attended his GP surgery where nurse practitioner Jacqueline Griffiths diagnosed tonsillitis, prescribed antibiotics and advised him to return if symptoms worsened or call 111 out of hours.

Dr Jonathan Wing told the inquest diagnosing tonsillitis was appropriate, while acknowledging suspected quinsy should be referred immediately because “best practice dictates early referral.”

Andrew’s mother, Liz Watson, also paid an emotional tribute to her son, she told the court: “Andrew brought light into every room.

(Image: FAMILY)

“He had a way of lifting everyone around him even without trying.

“He cherished his family and friends and they cherished him. His impact will not fade and he will never be forgotten.”

In evidence, she recalled her son studying forensic science before later experiencing mental health difficulties and substance abuse problems, resulting in several periods of being sectioned before moving into supported living.

Liz added: “In this day and age people should not be dying from a throat infection and they should not be waiting over an hour for an ambulance after a 999 call.”

(Image: FAMILY)

Andrew’s death later became caught up in allegations of safety investigation failures and cover-ups at the North East Ambulance Service. His family say they only discovered in 2023, after being contacted by journalists, that internal investigations had taken place following his death.

Because key material was not initially disclosed, the original inquest into Andrew’s death concluded in March 2020 before later being reopened in 2024.

The hearing is expected to continue until June 18.

BUTLER, Mo. (AP) — Several of the skydivers killed when their plane crashed moments after taking off from a Missouri airfield had jumped before and they belonged to a community with a unique bond, one friend said.

The plane carrying a pilot and 11 passengers crashed in a field and burst into flames Sunday, killing all on board, authorities said.

Some family members of those who died were at the airport to watch the jump and witnessed the crash, said Bates County Sheriff Chad Anderson.

Kevin Payne, who had jumped with seven of the skydivers on the plane, said they were all different in almost every way, except that they were all brought together as a “sky family.”

“There is a joy and peace and freedom to what we do. That’s what most people never understand,” Payne, of Parkville, Missouri, wrote in an email. “It’s not about the adrenaline. It’s about really flying together with your family in that brief, exquisite instant that people who live their lives on the ground will never understand.”

While the exact cause of the crash won’t be clear for a year or more until the National Transportation Safety Board publishes its final report, weather did not appear to be a factor.

Skydiving plane went down soon after taking off

Witnesses say the plane was roughly 100 feet (30 meters) from the ground when it made an abrupt left turn before crashing.

It appeared to be losing power, and the pilot may have been trying to reach a highway to land when the plane stalled and went down nose first, said Dennis Jacobs, acting airport manager of Butler Memorial Airport.

The private plane was operated by Skydive Kansas City, he said. The crash site in the small town of Butler is roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) south of Kansas City.

Plane made multiple flights over the weekend

The Pacific Aerospace 750XL — a single engine turboprop plane — is a popular model in skydiving because it’s designed for the sport and can quickly take parachutists to jumping altitudes while using short runways.

This particular plane, which was built in 2010, had made nine successful flights in the days before the crash, including two on Sunday morning, according to FlightAware, a digital flight tracking company.

Red flags raised about skydiving oversight

Federal investigators have voiced concerns about weak oversight for skydiving operators in past crash investigations, citing the need for stronger aircraft inspections. The NTSB said after a crash killed 11 people in Hawaii that the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulatory system isn’t strong enough to ensure the safety of skydiving flights.

The United States Parachute Association, the sport’s governing body, said in a statement after Sunday’s crash that “a loss of this magnitude is felt profoundly across the entire sport.”

The group said Skydive Kansas City adheres to the safety standards set by the largest skydiving organization in the world, including all maintenance requirements established by the FAA.

The skydiving industry says it has a strong safety record. The association said that last year nearly 3.5 million jumps were completed and that 16 civilians died, the majority from human error.

In 2022, Matt Fitzpatrick – the last British winner – triumphed at six under, the same mark as Jon Rahm the previous year. Wyndham Clark was 10 under at LACC in 2023 and Bryson DeChambeau six under at Pinehurst No 2.

Last year, at a rain-sodden Oakmont, one under was the number that allowed JJ Spaun to beat Bob MacIntyre by two for his first major crown.

Nowadays it seems conditions are the biggest influence on how many shots it takes to make a champion. “Mother Nature always gets a seat at the table, and at Shinnecock, maybe more than anywhere else,” Bodenhammer told Golf Digest.

“If we get wind, the course will resist scoring. If we don’t, it won’t – and we’re OK with that.

“That’s part of the evolution in our thinking, being willing to let conditions play a role instead of trying to control every outcome.”

There is some rain forecast before a predicted dry weekend, which might help the USGA dodge further criticism at a Shinnecock US Open.

It will remain a mighty test for the world’s best. Will the planet’s top player, Scheffler, pick off the major he needs for the career Grand Slam?

Could Fitzpatrick go one better than last week’s runner-up finish in Canada and collect a second US Open? Is Masters champion McIlroy ready to win his second major of the year?

Or is it time for LIV’s Tyrrell Hatton to join the major winning club? The Englishman competes after winning at the formidable Valderrama, the famed Spanish course that provides a similar test of fortitude as we expect Shinnecock to do this week.

Whoever prevails will need to control their ball better than anyone else. Take advantage of the wider fairways and cope with challenging run-off areas, devilish pin positions and drying greens that are still likely to get tougher on an hourly basis.

And that is how it should be at a US Open.

As crime drama set against the backdrop of the 1980s crack epidemic in LA is available on BBC iPlayer

The BBC is currently streaming a compelling crime drama that some have said is better than shows such as Netflix‘s Narcos.

Set during the 1980s crack epidemic, Snowfall chronicles a crime family headed by young dealer Franklin Saint (Damson Idris) as they attempt to make money selling drugs in Los Angeles.

The series examines the impact of crack as it follows various characters on a collision course, featuring Carter Hudson as CIA operative Teddy McDonald. Emily Rios portrays Lucia Villanueva, daughter of a Mexican crime boss, while Mexican wrestler Gustavo is brought to life by Sergio Peris-Mencheta.

The programme proved immensely popular with audiences upon its 2017 debut, and appears poised to attract a new audience now that all six seasons are available on BBC iPlayer, reports the Mirror.

Fans have proclaimed it the “best show ever”, with one writing on review platform Rotten Tomatoes: “Television at its peak.”

“THIS IS A TOTAL GEM!!!” remarked another, while a different viewer described it as “awesome” and a “must watch”.

“I am HOOKED!” declared someone else. “Do not miss this under-rated series, it just keeps on getting better and better.”

“It obligates you to binge it,” shared one fan, with another labelling it “heart-pounding and emotional”.

Another commented: “Each episode has you on the edge of your seat, it will keep you glued to your seat! Phenomenal acting and storyline.”

“Definitely better than Narcos,” maintained one viewer, while another deemed it “exhilarating”. “Gripping and fascinating,” remarked one viewer, noting it would leave audiences “on the edge of their seats”.

“Snowfall will hook you from the start and not let go,” enthused one fan on IMDb.com: “It really is one of the better series of the last few years, it’s extremely gritty and realistic.

“The cast is made up of mostly previous unknown actors and I think that actually adds to the grittiness of the show… I guarantee that you’ll become addicted once you start watching this and you’ll want to binge the entire series as fast as you can. It just pulls you into their world and doesn’t let go.”

Snowfall ran for six series from 2017 to 2023, with reports suggesting a spin-off was in early stages of development. The spin-off series, titled The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, is expected to launch later this year.

Snowfall is available on BBC iPlayer.

Varley was found guilty of murder, 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.

Developer Oaktree Living has applied to build the properties on land east of Holdforth Crescent, between South Church Road (A689) and the Weardale Railway Line.

The proposal states it would provide “100 per cent affordable housing”, although planning documents show only two of the proposed homes would meet the council’s affordable housing policy requirements.

The latest application follows the refusal of an earlier scheme by Durham County Council’s planning committee in November 2023.

(Image: The Northern Echo)

At the time, councillors criticised the development’s design and the level of affordable housing provision.

Following that decision, the developer entered into pre-application discussions with council officers to address the concerns and submit a revised proposal.

The new plans include significant engineering works to raise land levels across the eastern part of the site to accommodate the development.

However, planning officers have recommended that councillors refuse the application when they meet on Thursday (June 18). 

A report to the committee said four objections had been received from members of the public, raising concerns about visual impact, residential amenity, highway safety, ecology, flooding and the availability of local facilities and services.

The proposal for the new homes is set to be refused by councillors. (Image: Google)

Despite consultations with relevant bodies, officers concluded the proposal failed to demonstrate it would be an appropriate form of development.

The report states the scheme would represent “poor design that would harm the character and appearance of the surrounding area and would not adequately manage surface water on the site.”

Officers also said insufficient information had been provided to show the development would achieve the required 10 per cent biodiversity net gain or avoid adverse impacts on protected species.

Concerns were also raised over the lack of evidence demonstrating how the proposed housing mix would meet identified local needs and whether an appropriate range of affordable homes would be delivered.

Planning officers have recommended refusal on four grounds relating to design, flood risk, biodiversity and affordable housing provision.

Cambridgeshire County Council is aware of the flattened cycle wands

Cycle wands along a busy Cambridge road, which provide a barrier between vehicles and bicycles, have been damaged. Several cycle wands have been flattened on East Road in Cambridge.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council confirmed they are aware of the flattened cycle wands. One of the council’s officers will visit the area to review the damage and replace the wands.

Pictures show the damage caused to the wands as a result of being flattened. It is unclear how this damage was caused.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the cycle wands on East Road which have been flattened. One of our officers will visit the area to review the damage and replace the wands as required.”

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The cycle wands were installed temporarily as a trial but are set to remain in place until works start to reconfigure the road during the Grafton Centre redevelopment.

“Children will be given back their childhoods,” said the UK government on Monday, as it announced a social media ban for under-16s – a landmark policy backed by 90% of parents, according to a recent public consultation.

Amid growing concern that childhood is being hijacked by algorithms and that social media is exposing children to harmful content, the UK government said it was “marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations”. 

The ban, due to come into force next spring, will include platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X, but excludes messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.

It comes after a report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges which warned that children were being “continuously exposed to hateful, addictive and grossly distressing content” online. The academy said concern over social media and smartphone use now ranked alongside smoking and not wearing seatbelts as a unifying issue for the medical profession.

The UK government’s announcement was welcomed by the Smartphone Free Childhood Movement, which was co-founded by former Positive News editor Daisy Greenwell and her husband Joe Ryrie.

“For years, parents have been fighting a losing battle against some of the most powerful companies in the world as smartphones and social media have become an ever bigger part of childhood. Today feels like a turning point,” said Ryrie.

This moment belongs to the hundreds of thousands of parents who refused to stay quiet over the past two years

“This social media ban won’t solve every problem overnight, but it is a major step forward because millions of children will now get a few more years to grow up before entering online environments that were never designed with their wellbeing in mind.

“This moment belongs to the hundreds of thousands of parents who refused to stay quiet over the past two years. Together they’ve proved that ordinary people really can shape public policy – and that childhood doesn’t have to be defined by the commercial interests of a few technology companies in Silicon Valley.”

The UK joins Australia, which became the first country to ban under-16s from social media last December. While many parents have been supportive of the ban, some tech-savvy teens have found ways to get around it. 

Not everyone is convinced by such bans. Chris Sherwood of the UK’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said they “punish teenagers for tech platforms’ failures”. And critics argue that age bans could push children into less regulated online spaces, while doing too little to address the addictive design of the platforms themselves.

This social media ban won’t solve every problem overnight, but it is a major step forward

Nevertheless, momentum is building, with Denmark and New Zealand among the countries considering similar legislation. Meanwhile, In France, lawmakers have approved a bill that would ban under-15s from social media. 

“The emotions of our children and teenagers are not for sale or to be manipulated, either by American platforms or Chinese algorithms,” said French president, Emmanuel Macron.

The UK ban comes amid a wider reckoning for social media platforms, which faced what some called a “big tobacco moment” in March, when a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for designing addictive products that harmed a young user.

UK technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “Tech companies have had countless opportunities to keep children safe, yet they have failed to act. That is why we are taking power away from the tech giants and putting it back in parents’ hands.”

Main image: Shutterstock / PeopleImages