A foster mother today told of her grief and incomprehension after the ‘delightful’ toddler she cared for was brutally murdered by his biological father just weeks after he was awarded custody.
The devastating impact of defenceless Damion Russell’s killing was laid bare as ‘evil’ tattoo artist Daniel Hardcastle was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 22 years.
In an emotional statement, the foster mother – who cared for Damion as her own son for ten months – said she could never begin to understand ‘why someone would want to do something so evil to such an innocent ray of sunshine’.
She spoke out as a safeguarding review was launched into whether the agencies tasked with protecting the vulnerable toddler could have done more.
Damion was removed from his birth mother at ten months old and placed with the foster parents.
But following a DNA test which confirmed he was the father, Hardcastle applied for custody.
He fought through the family court to take care of Damion, winning sole custody in May last year following a 12 month assessment period.
The pair moved to a flat in Blackpool, with support from family members, social workers and mental health charity Dad Matters.
Damion was allocated a nursery place and there was a playgroup across the road.
But fatefully Hardcastle’s mother was taken into hospital, and he began drinking.
On August 19, 2023, Hardcastle called 999 reporting his son had fallen on a coffee table while playing.
Police and paramedics who rushed to the flat were instantly sceptical about the account Hardcastle gave.
Attempts had been made to clean blood from the floor and bloodstained clothes and bedding had been placed in bin bags and the washing machine.
Damion had injuries ‘from head to toe, front to back’, his trial heard.
Two days after the attack, Damion’s life support was withdrawn and he died in Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Scans and a post mortem confirmed Damion had suffered a litany of injuries over at least three days before the serious head injury which resulted in his death.
Among them were a bite mark to his leg, which Hardcastle claimed he had caused during ‘rough play’ a week earlier.
However experts said Damion must have been in agony and screaming as a result of the injury.
Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Allan Davies said Hardcastle was a ‘vile and despicable individual’.
There were also a number of fractured ribs and a serious injury to Damion’s mouth where is father had forced a sippy cup into his face, causing his lip to detach from his gum.
Yesterday a jury at Preston Crown Court took less than two hours to find Hardcastle, 31, guilty of murdering Damion.
As he returned to court to be sentenced today, a moving statement was read on behalf of his former foster mother, who asked not to be identified.
She said: ‘Damion was a delight, he would light up a room with his smile and his chuckle.
‘Seeing how quickly he was developing and bouncing back from earlier troubles in his earlier problems in his life was a true testament to his spirit and what a strong young man he was.
‘Looking to the future and the opportunities Damion missed out on, it is heartbreaking to know he will not get the chance to fulfil his potential.
‘There were so many opportunities out there for him that he will now never grasp.
‘Damion could have grown up to do whatever he wanted, with a loving family and support network around him, but this was taken away from him.
‘I cannot begin to understand what Damion went through at the hands of Hardcastle, and why someone would want to do something so evil to such an innocent ray of sunshine.
‘Thinking of how Damion suffered in the days before his death will stay with me.’
Delivering her own statement to her only grandson, Hardcastle’s mother Linda said: ‘Damion made me so happy. Now I just feel sad, heartbroken. I think about him every single day.
‘There is so much I just don’t understand and I probably never will. There are so many questions I have, questions that will probably never be answered.
‘I want to remember everything about Damion, about who he was.
‘I loved Damion so much. I still do. I always will.’
Imposing a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years, Mrs Justice Hill told Hardcastle he had ‘grossly abused your position of trust’.
‘You were Damion’s father and he was in your sole care. He was a helpless child.
‘It was your duty as his father to protect him, especially given the difficult start he had in life and his inability to rely on his mother to care for him.’
Hardcastle sat in the dock with his head bowed as the judge passed sentence. He showed no emotion as he was led to the cells.
Following his conviction, Lancashire Police released a moving video which showed clips of Damion smiling and laughing as he played on the swings and slides in a children’s park.
During his trial, Hardcastle admitted he had bitten his son hard enough to leave teeth marks on the toddler’s thigh, but claimed he was ‘playing rough’ with Damion.
He claimed Damion was clumsy and had collided with a coffee table while playing with his toys in the living room.
But the jury saw through his lies after hearing how Hardcastle spent the nights before Damion died drinking and chatting to women on social media.
He left Damion alone in the flat to visit local shops to buy more alcohol.
Outside the court, DS Davies said: ‘It is incomprehensible that a father could carry out such acts of cruelty on his son.
‘Many of the people in my team have been in tears carrying out this investigation including those who have children themselves. It is emotionally draining.
‘Hardcastle is a vile and despicable individual.’
He added: ‘Like any young child Damion had the right to be loved and cherished by the man who should have done everything he could to protect him.
‘Instead, he found himself subjected to a horrifically violent and sustained assault which caused the injuries which sadly led to his death.
‘Only Daniel Hardcastle can say exactly what happened on that fateful day or why he did what he did, but this was no childhood accident that ended in tragedy.
‘The nature and extent of the fatal injuries, deliberately inflicted by Hardcastle were done with intent to cause at least really serious harm and were the direct cause of Damion’s tragic death.’
Stephen Chapman, independent scrutiniser of Blackpool’s children multi-agency safeguarding arrangement, said: ‘In August 2023 we were notified of the tragic death of a two-year-old boy from Blackpool.
‘Our thoughts remain with his family and everyone affected by his passing.
‘During initial meetings with relevant agencies it was agreed that a Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review would be held.
‘Following today’s judgement, the review will be completed.’