Preston Davey: The ‘evil and monstrous’ teacher who used charm and easy manner to hide ‘gratuitous’ abuse of baby son

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A sadistic high school teacher who murdered his adopted young son used his charm and professional reputation to hide the “unnecessary” sexual and physical abuse he inflicted on the 13-month-old boy.

Preston Davey was repeatedly hospitalized with suspicious bruises in the months after he was adopted by textiles teacher and year 11 head Jamie Varley and his partner, financial sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley.

Although he was seen by a “team of professionals” throughout his short life, no one noticed or was able to stop this horrific abuse. Preston was killed in July 2023 following a fatal sexual assault at the hands of Varley.

The judge found the killer’s profession and “easy demeanor” helped reassure professionals he was fit to be a parent.

Giving him a rare life sentence on Thursday, Mr Justice Turner said Varley, 37, launched his campaign of harassment amid simmering “selfish resentment” towards Preston for disturbing his sleep and affecting his relationship with McGowan-Fazakerley.

“You, Varley, soon began complaining to your friends and colleagues that you and McGowan-Fazakerley were losing sleep and this was affecting your relationship,” the judge said.

“I’m sure your growing and selfish resentment towards Preston played at least some part in your motivation to treat him so badly in the weeks that followed.

“I have no doubt that your charm and easygoing demeanor, combined with your professional background as a teacher, did much to reassure social workers and healthcare professionals that all was well.”

McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was sentenced to 25 years in prison at Preston Crown Court for sexual assault and condoning the death of the baby.

The couple met on Canal Street in Manchester’s gay village in late 2018. McGowan-Fazakerley moved to Blackpool within six months and in 2020 the couple bought a £220,000 three-bed semi-detached house on the outskirts of the property, complete with marble floors and chandeliers.

While Varley admitted in court that she was the “Drama Queen”, the shy and collected McGowan-Fazakerley was “Steady Eddie” in their relationship.

According to neighbors, they could often hear Varley yelling at his partner. But he was well respected when he was promoted to head guard, a key pastoral role at the high school.

The couple was approved for adoption in February 2022 and was matched with Preston, who was nine months old when he moved in with them.

But during the four short months she was in their care, she was subjected to a horrific campaign of sexual, physical and mental abuse.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, who is leading the murder investigation on behalf of Lancashire Police, said the case had “truly shocked the nation”.

“Jamie Varley is an evil and monstrous individual who sexually, physically and mentally abused a defenseless baby for his own sadistic pleasure,” he said.

“I have a hard time imagining the horror Preston experienced in his short life.

“This is one of the most challenging investigations our force major investigation team has ever undertaken and is the most extreme example of disgusting and abusive behavior by two completely unscrupulous people.”

The hearing heard Preston was “extremely happy and healthy” as he was cared for by experienced foster parents Sandra and Paul Cooper for the first nine months of his life.

Preston was taken from his mother Sarah Davey, now 42, under an urgent care order from Oldham Council and placed in foster care when he was five days old.

Ms Davey, aged 14, was jailed for the “unspeakably evil” murder of a frail pensioner in 1998 and had been in and out of prison ever since.

At first Ms Cooper thought Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley would be ideal parents for Preston, but after spending a month with his new family she had a “gut feeling” something was wrong.

Varley had taken a year off from teaching but admitted to a colleague that he had “dark thoughts” about strangling or suffocating Preston.

Preston had been taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital three times in the months before his death, with suspicious bruises noted by medical staff, but these were addressed and police stood down.

When she hospitalized Preston with a heart attack on July 27, 2023, Varley told paramedics she left him alone in the bathroom and when he returned he found her underwater. However, doctors could not find water in his lungs and his hair was dry.

At the hospital, Varley gave a “performance” of a grieving parent that a senior doctor described as unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The Home Office’s post-mortem examination revealed 40 non-accidental internal and external injuries and concluded that Preston’s death was caused by acute upper respiratory tract obstruction caused by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.

Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photographs or videos of a child, one count of distributing an indecent photograph of a child to other defendants and one count of producing an indecent photograph following an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court.

McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of cruelty to children and one count of sexually assaulting a child.