A secondary school teacher has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually abusing and murdering the infant boy he was in the process of adopting alongside his partner.
Sentencing Details
Jamie Varley, 37, received a whole-life order on Thursday for the abuse and killing of 13-month-old Preston Davey. The judge, Mr Justice Turner, stated that Varley will remain incarcerated for the rest of his life and will never be eligible for parole. Varley's partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse, child cruelty, and allowing the death of a child.
Background of the Case
Preston was taken from his biological mother, Sarah Davey, a convicted killer, and placed with foster parents five days after his birth. He was subsequently placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley by an adoption agency at nine months old. The court heard that the adopting parents treated the baby as a 'plaything.' During his time at their home in Staining, near Blackpool, the infant was 'routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted,' according to prosecutor Peter Wright KC. Evidence revealed that the baby sustained 40 traumatic injuries.
Events Leading to Death
On July 27, 2023, the couple brought an unresponsive Preston to the hospital, where medical staff attempted resuscitation for 50 minutes without success. Varley, described in court as overly dramatic, gave a 'performance' of a grieving parent that one senior doctor described as unlike anything she had witnessed before. Jurors heard Varley claimed he left the baby in the bath for a few minutes and found him submerged, but medical evidence contradicted this story. A pathologist determined the cause of death as acute upper airways obstruction, either by smothering or by inserting objects into the baby's mouth.
Investigation and Evidence
A lengthy police investigation uncovered disturbing images and videos on Varley's phone, serving as evidence of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. The case has raised questions about whether authorities missed opportunities to save Preston. During the eight-week trial, it was revealed that Preston was seen by numerous professionals, including social workers, doctors, and nurses, in the final weeks of his life. He was taken to the hospital three times by the couple, once with a broken arm, but each time he was returned to their care. Explanations for the injuries provided by Varley, a head of year at a Blackpool secondary school, and McGowan-Fazakerley, a sales manager, were believed.
Review and Reactions
A child safeguarding practice review launched by Oldham council after Preston's death was paused during criminal proceedings and has now resumed. The independent review will examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding and the involvement of agencies responsible for his welfare. Preston's biological mother, Sarah Davey, expressed her grief in a victim impact statement, stating that his death 'should never have been allowed to happen' and that she carries 'grief, guilt and heartbreak' every day. The children's commissioner for England, Rachel De Souza, described Preston's murder as a 'massive safeguarding failure' and questioned whether more attention was not paid because Varley was a teacher. The senior investigating officer, DCI Andy Fallows, called Varley 'evil' and 'monstrous,' noting that the case was an 'extreme example of sordid and wicked behaviour by completely remorseless human beings.' The NSPCC emphasized that important lessons must be learned from the case.
