Sick trick twisted trainer Jamie Varley performed exhausted Preston Davey earlier than screaming ‘boo’

WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Twisted teacher Jamie Varley blasted Disney music to keep his exhausted baby awake before screaming ‘boo’ at him, weeks before murdering the helpless boy

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A twisted former schoolteacher took a sick delight in tormenting his exhausted baby boy before suddenly screaming “boo” to terrify him, it can be revealed. Depraved head of year Jamie Varley, 37, filmed the heartbreaking footage of 13-month-old Preston Davey just weeks before murdering him.

The former design and technology technician deliberately forced the clearly drained infant to stay awake by blasting the soundtrack to the Disney film Moana and keeping bright lights on, waiting until the little boy began to drift off before shouting at him.

The chilling incident has been highlighted by experts as a textbook example of the psychological “Dark Triad” – combining psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism.

Varley was recently handed a whole-life order at Preston Crown Court for the systematic torture, sexual abuse and murder of the defenceless youngster, meaning he will die behind bars.

A 2013 University of British Columbia study into human cruelty noted that some individuals experience a perverse motivation to inflict pain on others.

Discussing participants who went out of their way to punish rivals with loud noises, the research said: “There wasn’t just a willingness to do it but a motivation to enjoy, to put in some extra effort to have the opportunity to hurt other individuals.”

This “callous insensitivity” and “coolly manipulative” mindset defined Varley’s actions in the weeks leading up to the murder. The wider tragedy has raised urgent questions over the role of social workers and medical professionals.

Preston had been rushed to hospital three times prior to his death with severe injuries, including a fractured elbow and multiple bruises.

Varley managed to easily explain away the warning signs, sparking concerns that hospital staff may have been reluctant to intervene due to a fear of being accused of homophobia.

The abuse culminated in horror on July 27, 2023. Varley sexually assaulted the baby twice before smothering him.

When doctors challenged his claims that Preston had accidentally drowned in the bath, a post-mortem confirmed there was no water in the child’s lungs.

Instead, pathologists discovered more than 30 visible bruises, internal injuries and a human bite mark on his bottom.

The trial judge noted that the case involved “prolonged incidents of serious cruelty” and “sadistic behaviour,” making Varley one of only around 70 prisoners in the UK who will never be released.

To neighbours and colleagues, Varley and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, appeared to live an “Instagram-perfect” life at their home in Blackpool. Varley even worked as a safeguarding lead at South Shore Academy.

However, a dark past lay hidden beneath the respectable veneer. Former neighbours from a previous address in Blackpool described Varley’s family as a “nightmare,” recalling how he targeted local children.

One ex-neighbour said: “He started shouting nasty abuse and ended up throwing lit cigarettes at their toys, trying to set them on fire.” She added: “How on earth he got to be a secondary school teacher, I really don’t know.”

Work colleagues also recalled Varley’s narcissistic tendency to overshare bizarre personal details, including an occasion where he missed work after falling from a drainpipe while spying on an ex-boyfriend he suspected of cheating.

Preston was formally placed with the couple on March 31, 2023, but their picture-perfect family dynamic was nothing but a calculated charade.

Reflecting on Varley’s deceptive persona, criminologist David Wilson said: “Varley was a very skilled manipulator of a narrative.” He added: “He was very cunning. He knew how to cover up. He knew how to hide.”

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Turner said he could not rule out “the possibility” that Preston’s horrific abuse was “premeditated from the moment of adoption.”