Tragic Preston Davey’s killer Jamie Varley back in court | UK | News
The teacher who killed the baby she adopted with her partner appeared in court today. Jamie Varley, 37, was given a life sentence last month for the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, who was subjected to “relentless harassment” by his former high school principal.
He was not wrongly convicted of a single sexual assault charge when he was sentenced last month after being found guilty of murder and 24 other crimes.
He participated in a brief two-minute hearing under the “slip rule,” which allows judges to correct legal errors or correct accidental errors.
This will have no practical effect as Varley was given a life sentence and was told by the same judge when he handed down the sentence on June 18 that he would never be released from prison. Mr Justice Turner, who also appeared via video link with other lawyers attending the hearing, sentenced Varley to seven years’ imprisonment for count 12, sexual assault of a child, to run concurrently with his other sentences.
Varley appeared at Preston Crown Court via video link from HMP Wakefield; It was often described as the “Monster Mansion” and housed some of the country’s most notorious killers. Varley emerged from a room in the prison wearing a striped sweater; He had his elbows on the table in front of him and his hands clasped in front of his face. He spoke only to confirm his identity.
Varley’s partner, former state student John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, attended the hearing via video link from HMP Preston.
Following the couple’s eight-week trial, Varley was sentenced to 25 years in prison for allowing Varley to treat the child and participating in the sexual abuse.
Detectives said their crimes “shocked the nation” and described Varley as “evil” and “sadistic”. The child was routinely sexually assaulted and physically abused after the couple adopted him when he was nine months old, before Preston was murdered at their home in Blackpool four months later in July 2023. Preston was treated like a “toy”. Social services investigation is ongoing.
