WARNING, DISTRESSING CONTENT: Jamie Varley, 37, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, were jailed for the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, who they adopted in April 2023
A “sadistic” school teacher who murdered his adopted baby during a sex attack told a sickening lie moments after 13-month-old Preston Davey died in a “performance” of a grieving parent.
Described as an “evil monster” paedophile Jamie Varley, 37, inflicted “unremitting abuse” on Preston Davey.
Preston, who was in the care of Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, for just four months, was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and was sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries.
On July 27 in 2023, the former head of year rushed Preston into hospital for the final time, claiming he had accidentally drowned in the bath.
Lying to medical staff, Varley claimed he left the child in the bath for two or three minutes and returned to find him submerged.
However, there was no evidence he had swallowed water, he had a nappy in place and was dry.
One senior doctor said Varley gave a “performance” of a grieving parent that was unlike any she had ever seen before.
Medics worked for 50 minutes to try and save Preston’s life but sadly he was pronounced dead in hospital, reports the Express.
A Home Office post-mortem examination ruled out drowning as the cause of death and the examination found around 40 non-accidental, internal and external injuries.
They included multiple clusters of “fingertip” bruises on his head, face and limbs, slap marks on his leg, and a human bite mark on the baby’s right buttock.
Preston also suffered injuries to his mouth, throat and bottom, with parts of his anatomy appearing “abnormal” and the injuries being consistent with “forcible penetration” and sexual abuse.
After an eight-week trial, Varley was handed a whole life sentence and informed he will never be eligible for parole following his conviction for a murder that “shocked the nation”.
His partner received a 25-year prison sentence for enabling Varley’s treatment of the child and participating in the sexual abuse.
Outside court, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, who spearheaded the murder investigation for Lancashire Police, stated: “Jamie Varley is an evil and monstrous individual who sexually, physically and mentally abused a vulnerable baby for his own sadistic pleasure.
“I struggle to imagine the horror that Preston endured in his short life.
“This has been one of the most challenging investigations our force major investigation team has ever undertaken, and the most extreme example of sordid and wicked behaviour by two completely remorseless human beings.
“This is a case which has truly shocked the nation.”
Preston had been used as a “plaything”, the jury at the defendant’s eight-week trial heard, with the child routinely sexually assaulted and physically abused after the couple adopted him aged nine months. His murder came four months later at the twisted couple’s Blackpool home.
Preston had been taken from his mother Sarah Davey, now 42, under an emergency care order by Oldham Council and placed with foster carers when he was just five days old. Preston was adopted at nine months old in April 2023 by Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley.
Police uncovered evidence that Varley had admitted to a colleague about harbouring “dark thoughts” of suffocating or drowning Preston.
He had also messaged his sister describing the child as “dead meat” following a sleepless night.
Just 90 minutes before Preston was rushed to hospital, Varley filmed a video, while also using Snapchat and checking emails, showing Preston in severe distress, barely breathing and taking “agonal breaths”.
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