Teacher Who Murdered and Abused Adopted Baby Jailed
Teacher who murdered and abused adopted – Jamie Varley, a 37-year-old teacher, has received a whole-life prison sentence for the sexual abuse and murder of Preston Davey, a 13-month-old boy he adopted with his partner. The child died in July 2023, following a period of relentless maltreatment that spanned the last four months of his life.
Abuse and Neglect Leading to Tragic Outcome
Varley, from Blackpool, initially claimed Preston had drowned accidentally in the bath. However, a post-mortem examination uncovered 40 traumatic injuries, some consistent with sexual assault. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was convicted of sexual assault, child cruelty, and failing to prevent the boy’s death, receiving a 25-year sentence.
“Preston faced ‘unremitting abuse’ and neglect before being killed during a sex attack,” said Mr Justice Turner during sentencing. “You murdered him. A whole-life order is a sentence of last resort for the most extreme cases. You must remain in prison for the rest of your life. You will never be eligible for parole.”
Family’s Emotional Impact
Preston’s biological mother, Sarah Davey, and grandmother, Debbie Davey, were present in the public gallery during the hearing, overwhelmed by grief. In a victim impact statement, Sarah Davey described the “unimaginable pain of wondering” what her son endured in his final months. “Those thoughts do not leave me,” she said. “They are with me when I wake up, and they haunt me when I try to sleep. The reality of his suffering is something I will carry for the rest of my life.”
Gary Nolan, Preston’s biological father, shared his anguish in a statement. “Preston was the son I never got to meet and now never will,” he said. “Upon hearing the news, I remember officers taking hold of me and me blanking out. The next thing I recall is waking up in hospital two days later. I was told I was hysterical and crying, and that it was for my own safety I was taken to the hospital.”
Background and Adoption Process
Preston, born in June 2022, was placed in care at just five days old after an emergency care order by Oldham Council. He lived with foster parents for the first nine months of his life, described by Sandra Cooper, his foster mother, as “joyful, so content and happy, with sparkly smiling eyes.” Her husband, Paul, recalled the difficulty of handing Preston over to Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. “We believed at the time this was the best thing for Preston,” he said. “But what happened after this I still cannot bear to think about.”
Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption in January 2023. Preston moved into their Blackpool home in April, when he was nine months old. During the four months he lived with them, he was subjected to routine abuse, including non-accidental injuries like bruising, seizures, and respiratory failures. Medical records showed he was hospitalized three times before his death: first for a nose bleed and seizure, then for a rash and bruising, and finally with a fractured left elbow.
On 27 July, Varley rushed Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, claiming he had left the child unattended in the bath for two or three minutes. However, the child was found dry with no signs of having swallowed water. Despite medical efforts, Preston could not be revived and was declared dead that day. The post-mortem confirmed 40 external and internal trauma injuries, some matching the pattern of forcible penetration and sexual abuse.
