City has waited years for hearings to take place in to deaths of young boys

But no one directly involved with the incidents that claimed the lives of the youngsters will give evidence and no juries will be present.

The very young boys all died in unrelated incidents taking place between two and three years ago.

Separate inquests are to be held from Monday to Wednesday of next week that will look into the deaths of the children: Blake Fowler aged seven, Nico Maynard aged three-months, and Jayden Adams aged two and his brother Bradley aged four.

Although the deaths, with the exception of the Adams brothers, are totally unrelated, and have taken so long to come to the coroner’s court, all will be completed over the three days.

What’s more, the Daily Echo can report, none of the three inquests is scheduled to last more than two hours and no one directly involved in the incidents – including parents and those with the children when they died – will be asked to give evidence directly to the coroner.

None of the inquests will take place before a jury.

The Daily Echo can also report that although it is believed all four children were known to the authorities at the time of their deaths, Serious Case Reviews by the Local Safeguarding Children Board involving major agencies such as social services and the police have only just been launched into the cases of Blake Fowler and the Adams brothers as much as three years after their deaths.

This means no findings from the reviews, which sometimes can identify failings in the system, can be taken into account by the coroner.

Further, this paper can reveal, that the Serious Case Review which was published into the death of baby Nico Maynard last week, was in fact completed over a year ago and its findings kept secret for 12-months while agencies put their houses in order.

That report found there had been a number of “missed opportunities”, a lack of communication between agencies and that not enough questions were asked ahead of the birth of the twins that could have alerted the city council’s social services department to any potential dangers.

Each and every case has seen adults initially arrested by police and quizzed over the deaths of the children.

None of them have, or will, face criminal proceedings following consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Last night Southampton MP John Denham said he was aware of the inquests taking place next week and would await their outcomes.

He said: “I think it is very important |||that if there are any failings by public agencies which could have saved these children’s lives, it is essential that they are identified so that they cannot happen again.”

The timetable for the inquests is: Monday: A hearing takes place into the death of sevenyear- old Blake Fowler.

The youngster died in December 2011 after sustaining a serious head injury while in the care of his step-father at a relative’s home.

Tuesday: The inquest takes place into the deaths of brothers Jayden and Bradley A d a m s who died just three months apart.

Little Jayden Adams died in the first week of January, 2011, having been rushed to hospital from his home, suffering cardiac arrest.

Three months later at the start of April, his big brother Bradley, who was four years old, was also found unconscious at home. In hospital, doctors fought to save him, but he failed to respond to treatment and passed away within days.

Wednesday: An inquest will hear evidence surrounding how three-month-old baby Nico Maynard came to be found face down in his Moses basket, unconscious and with a fractured skull.

The tot was a twin and when medics examined his surviving child who has since been taken into care, it was found to also have injuries including a broken leg and suspected fractured skull.

The city’s coroner Keith Wiseman will call evidence from police officers and pathologists in each of the three hearings which are expected to last just a matter of two hours each.

But the Daily Echo understands that no family members, or any of the adults who were looking after them when they became ill, will be required to give evidence under oath.

Coroner Keith Wiseman has declined to answer questions from the Daily Echo about the relevance of Serious Case Reviews and why it has taken so long for any of the hearings to take place.

He told the paper: “All (or most) will be revealed at the respective inquests and not before”.

NAME: BLAKE DAVID JOHN FOWLER

AGE: SEVEN YEARS OLD

DIED: DECEMBER 4, 2011

FULL of energy and with a beaming smile he was described as “a little ray of sunshine”.

The death of schoolboy Blake Fowler sent shockwaves through a community just weeks before Christmas in 2011.

It was on the evening of December 3 that an ambulance was called to Cromarty Road in Lordshill, Southampton, where Blake is understood to have suffered a serious head injury.

At the time, he was in the care of his step-father Peter Meek and was visiting the home of relatives when he sustained the injury that was to later prove fatal.

Blake was taken to Southampton General Hospital by an ambulance called to the house early that evening.

Hampshire police were alerted to what was unfolding in a phone call from hospital staffat 7pm.

But despite the efforts of doctors who fought hard to save him, the following day they delivered the heartbreaking news to his mother, Sarah Spacagna, that nothing more could be done to save him.

On December 4, detectives arrested Peter Meek, a well-known amateur boxer in the city, and his brother Philip Meek, then 21, on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

It is understood that following his arrest, Peter Meek, then 23, joined Sarah Spacagna at Blake’s bedside where they took the decision to turn offhis life support machine.

A post-mortem examination later confirmed that Blake had died from head injuries but exactly how he came to suffer them that night has never been known.

It was on April 17 last year that the two men were told by Hampshire police that they would not face any criminal proceedings in light of Blake’s death, following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service.

A Serious Case Review has now been launched looking at the roles all authorities played.

BRADLEY (LEFT) AND JAYDEN ADAMS

NAME: JAYDEN CHRISTIAN GLEN ADAMS

AGE: TWO YEARS OLD

DIED: JANUARY 6, 2011

NAME: BRADLEY ADAMS

AGE: FOUR YEARS OLD

DIED: APRIL 4, 2011

THEY were two young brothers described as “gorgeous little boys”.

A toddler at the time of his death, Jayden was known for his infectious smile while his big brother Bradley was a chatterbox.

It was understood from neighbours to be almost three years ago – on New Year’s Day, 2011 – that Jayden starting having convulsions.

However police records show that Jayden was taken to Southampton General Hospital by ambulance in the early hours of the morning of Ja nuary 6.

He was suffering cardiac arrest at that time and paramedics made desperate attempts to save his life – but tragically they proved futile.

Hampshire police were called by the ambulance service at 3.30am to raise concerns.

It was three months later when a second tragedy struck and Bradley, then aged four, also died.

He was living with his mother Shelly Adams, at the home of his nan in Lordswood.

At the time neighbours reported how Shelly had come running out of the house screaming for help, reportedly shouting “he’s dead, he’s dead”.

Bradley was found unconscious in the property and was rushed to Southampton General Hospital by ambulance on April 1.

Again, police were notified in a call received at approximately 9.45pm.

But despite a battle for life, it appears Bradley failed to respond to treatment and he too passed away within a matter of days.

On April 4, detectives from Hampshire’s major crime department launched an investigation into the youngster’s death and swiftly arrested Shelly Adams, then aged 25, on suspicion of Bradley’s murder.

Extensive searches were carried out of the family home by forensic teams who removed property including a bed, mattress and pillows.

Meanwhile investigations continued into how he had died, with a post-mortem carried out on April 5.

Examinations on the bodies of both children initially proved inconclusive and further tests were ordered to try and determine what had caused their deaths.

Shelly Adams meanwhile remained on police bail following questioning, which was repeatedly extended as the police investigation continued.

In July last year the Daily Echo exclusively reported how she was dramatically arrested again – this time in connection with the death of Jayden.

By then aged 27, Shelly Adams remained on bail pending further inquiries until April 26 this year – two years after her sons died – when she was released without charge after the Crown Prosecution Service announced that no further action would be taken against her.

NICO MAYNARD

NAME: NICO MAYNARD

AGE: 3 MONTHS OLD

DIED: SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

JUST three months old, little Nico was in his Moses basket when he was discovered face down and unconscious.

An ambulance was called to a house in Grange Road, understood to be in the early hours of the morning, and he was rushed to Southampton General Hospital.

On arrival, he was pronounced dead by doctors and it was later determined the baby had suffered a fractured skull. The ambulance service called police just before 5am to tell them what they were dealing with.

Nico was a twin and medics also examined the surviving child who was also found to have suffered a leg fracture and a possible skull fracture that appeared to be healing.

Police arrested both parents, whose names have not been disclosed, on suspicion of murder.

The other baby was immediately taken into care as detectives launched an inquiry to find out what happened.

It later emerged that the baby’s father, now 28, had spent a ye ar in prison for a previous conviction for child cruelty. In that case, he had fractured the skull of the child in question and caused numerous injuries.

Last week the Daily Echo told how a Serious Case Review was carried out into the death of Nico. One year after that investigation was completed – which looks at the roles of all agencies involved with the family such as housing and social services as well as police – the details were published.

It revealed how agencies were in the dark about the man’s past, sparking calls for a national register to be set up to track offenders who have committed violent crimes against children.

The report, published by the Local Safeguarding Children Board, included the fact that the injuries sustained by the twins “were likely to be the result of abusive care by one or both of the parents”.

It also highlighted numerous missed opportunities that could have alerted authorities to the man’s violent past and the fact the mother had a history of depression and self-harm.

Following a lengthy Hampshire police investigation, the ev idence was presented to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided not to pursue any criminal proceedings against the couple and they were released without charge.

A spokesman said that “a cause of death attributable to any individual could not be established”

to the standard required to give a realistic hope of conviction in court.