How adoptive parents’ lies unravelled to reveal ‘reign of terror’
How adoptive parents lies unravelled to reveal – On 27 July 2023, Jamie Varley, a 37-year-old former teacher, pleaded with medical staff to save his 13-month-old adopted son, Preston Davey. In his distress, he claimed: “It’s my fault—I left him for two minutes while I went to change.” This statement, though framed as remorse, marked the beginning of a pattern of falsehoods that would later be exposed. The tragedy unfolded when Preston, who had been in foster care for the first nine months of his life, died in hospital after enduring months of sexual and physical abuse.
Convictions after a months-long deception
Following an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court, Varley was found guilty of murdering Preston, along with multiple charges such as sexual assault and possession of indecent images of the child. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, also faced convictions for child cruelty, allowing the child’s death, and sexual abuse. Lancashire Police Det Ch Insp Andy Fallows, the senior investigator, described Varley’s actions in the hospital as “almost like a pantomime,” noting stark contrasts in his demeanor during different stages of the case.
“We saw a very different Jamie Varley in the suspect interviews on 25 June 2025, just before he was charged. His appearance, attitude, and behavior were all inconsistent with the man who had just admitted to leaving Preston in the bath,” said Fallows. “During the trial, he was obstructive, contradictory, and entirely unconvincing.”
Varley had previously asserted that Preston drowned in the bath, but the evidence painted a different picture. A post-mortem examination revealed 40 injuries, some matching signs of “forcible penetration” and sexual abuse, eliminating drowning as the cause of death. Fallows emphasized that Preston was not wet, and there was no trace of water in his system, calling the bath incident “wholly inconsistent.”
A life of torment under adoptive care
Preston, who joined Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley’s household in April 2023, suffered non-accidental injuries, including bruises, seizures, and respiratory failures, over a four-month period. These included fractures, bite marks on his buttocks, and other signs of abuse. Fallows highlighted how the pair treated the child as a “plaything,” subjecting him to psychological cruelty such as keeping him awake for entertainment and videoing him in the bath for 14 minutes.
“The jury witnessed Jamie Varley on that evening in hospital, collapsing to the floor while denying the truth. It felt staged. Meanwhile, John McGowan-Fazakerley, who was working on the day of the incident, had taken a ‘hear no evil, see no evil’ stance. He had seen the injuries daily but failed to intervene,” Fallows explained.
Despite the foster parents’ deep care, the police investigation focused primarily on the adoptive parents, highlighting Varley’s role as a manipulator who altered his story and shifted blame. Fallows noted that while other agencies might have taken action earlier, the case ultimately exposed the systematic abuse Preston endured. His death, he said, was the result of a “reign of terror” inflicted by those entrusted with his well-being.
