A hospital missed an opportunity to help a second murdered toddler just a day before medics failed to raise the alarm about Preston Davey's injuries, it has emerged.Staff at Blackpool Victoria Hospital failed to flag concerns about 13-month-old Preston despite his ‘evil’ adoptive fathers taking him to A&E three times in a matter of weeks.An outpouring of horror since teacher Jamie Varley, 37, was last week ordered to spend the rest of his life in jail for sexually abusing and murdering him has led to demands for a wider inquiry into the string of safeguarding failures.Now it has emerged that just a day before Preston was taken to the scandal-hit hospital for the third time, staff also failed to raise the alarm about another abused toddler.Damion Russell was taken to A&E at the Lancashire hospital on June 29, 2023 after suffering a ‘febrile convulsion’.But medics did not ask his father, Daniel Hardcastle, about an old bruise on his forehead.Weeks later the ‘delightful’ two-year-old was murdered by Hardcastle, 31, in what a court heard was a ‘horrifically violent’ attack.A post mortem examination found Damion’s body was ‘covered in injuries, top to toe and front to back’ including an adult bite mark. At least eight missed opportunities were missed to save Preston Davey (pictured) before he was murdered by teacher Jamie Varley, who was in the process of adopting him Jamie Varley, 37,subjected Preston to 'unremitting abuse' before murdering the 13-month-old at his home in Blackpool
Preston Davey hospital 'missed chance to help second murdered toddler'
A day before 13-month-old Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital for a third time, medics also failed to ask two-year-old Damion Russell's father about an old bruise on his forehead.







