The eight missed chances to save baby Preston from evil adoptive fathers: did political correctness play a role in failure to stop them?

Authorities missed a series of opportunities to save a baby who was sexually abused and murdered by the teacher who adopted him.

Serious questions are being asked about the scrutiny Jamie Varley, 37, and boyfriend John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, faced after little Preston Davey was given to look after them.

Over a period of four months, the ‘pure evil’ duo physically, psychologically and sexually assaulted the child in front of social workers. Varley was said to have treated Preston like a ‘toy’.

A senior social worker questioned whether authorities were guided by the middle-class couple, who are both in professional jobs, able to express their opinions and live an apparently respectable lifestyle, or whether they were blinded by political correctness and a desire to promote diversity.

‘Questions need to be asked about whether these guys have been pushed hard enough,’ the source said. ‘Social workers may find it difficult to confront same-sex adoptive parents for fear of being seen as politically incorrect.’

Preston’s birth grandmother, Debbie Davey, 66, claimed concerns about homophobia had clouded the judgment of those who were supposed to oversee his care, with at least eight opportunities to protect him missed.

“Social services may have been hesitant to take action when they saw Preston because they might have been accused of being homophobic,” Ms Davey said. ‘They couldn’t see the end [Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley] and see what happens.’

An autopsy found Preston, who was just 13 months old when he died, suffered more than 40 injuries, including 30 visible bruises and serious internal injuries to his throat and hip.

Manipulative: Killer Jamie Varley, a textile teacher who was also prefect and maintained leadership at a comprehensive school, lied to police

Emotionless: John McGowan-Fazakerley stared straight ahead and remained emotionless as the verdict was read

While McGowan-Fazakerley, an account manager for a financial firm, was on the job, it took the jury 13 hours to convict Varley, a textile teacher who was also prefect and maintained leadership at the comprehensive school, of murder.

Varley, who was described as a ‘drama queen’ during the grueling trial, fell to her knees and began dry retching in the dock at Preston Crown Court as the verdicts were announced on Monday.

McGowan-Fazakerley, who was found guilty of sexual assault, two counts of cruelty and allowing Preston’s death, stared straight ahead and remained emotionless. They will be sentenced on Thursday.

Curly-haired Preston was taken from his birth mother, also a convicted murderer, in 2022 when he was just five days old. He spent his first night at Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley’s home in Blackpool at the end of March 2023 and died on 27 July that year.

The baby had been taken to hospital three times, including for suspicious bruises and a broken elbow, had been seen by a ‘team of professionals’ and the police had even been called in the weeks before his death. But no one raised the alarm.

Oldham Council, which was responsible for Preston at the time of his death because his adoption had not yet been completed, said on Monday that no social workers had been disciplined or dismissed in connection with the case but insisted an independent review of child protection practice was under way.

Ms Davey cried as the verdicts were announced. He said he was angry that no social workers had been suspended or fired.

‘Everyone involved with Preston is still working,’ he added. ‘This is not true.’

Preston’s mother, 42-year-old daughter Sarah, was jailed at the age of 14 for torturing and murdering a pensioner in 1998.

Around 3,000 children, including around 100 babies, are adopted in England and Wales each year. The likelihood of abuse among gay adoptive parents is no longer higher, and one in five adopted children is now placed in the care of same-sex couples.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, of Lancashire Police, said Preston had been ‘betrayed’ by people who were supposed to love and care about him.

‘You don’t come across pure evil very often in this business,’ he said. ‘Anyone who has followed this case will no doubt understand why I put Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley in this category.’

The hearing heard Varley, who took a year off work to look after Preston, was uncomfortable being home all day while McGowan-Fazakerley was at work.

He took hundreds of photos and videos of Preston, who is described as cheerful and active on social media. Detectives said this was to show the outside world that they were a ‘perfect’ family and that the baby was adjusting well to their new ‘daddy’.

Curly-haired Preston was taken from his birth mother, also a convicted murderer, in 2022 when he was just five days old.

Preston Davey with his mother, Sarah Davey, who committed a terrible crime in her youth

Varley (left) and McGowan-Fazakerley (right) were found guilty after a trial lasting more than seven weeks

But sinister, suggestive photos were also found on Varley’s mobile phone, along with images of Preston giggling on the park swings or smiling in his high chair.

In early July, just weeks before Preston’s death, Varley told a colleague that he had ‘dark thoughts’ about strangling or suffocating the boy. He claimed that on the day of Preston’s death, he left the boy in the bathroom for several minutes and returned to find him underwater. Paramedics tried in vain for 50 minutes to save his life.

Jurors were shown body images of police officers who were called to the hospital to speak with Varley. Mr Fallows said: ‘You see he wanders around in a theatrical manner, at one point throwing himself on the ground. I referred to it as pantomime, and that’s exactly what it felt like to buy yourself time to make up a story to explain to that little boy what you’d done.’

He added: ‘I think Jamie Varley tried to deceive from day one. He is a manipulative character, or he certainly tried to be so. [and] We were able to show him what he really was.

‘I don’t see any sign of remorse, remorse or real sadness for Preston Davey. I think tears flowed around Jamie Varley, an arrogant, self-centered liar.’

The jury also found him guilty of 24 other charges, including sexual assault, grievous bodily harm, cruelty and receiving and distributing indecent images.

A spokesman for the NSPCC said Preston’s death would ‘lead many people to question how such a tragedy could happen’.

A spokesman for Oldham Council said they were ‘thankful’ Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were convicted.

‘Our thoughts are with Preston’s family, his loved ones and the many people affected by this incident,’ he said.