Potential juror recognised Preston Davey's killer as her high school teacher. Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley were sentenced over the 13-month-old's death.
Jury Selection Shock
A potential juror was excused from sitting at the Preston Davey murder trial after she recognised one of the defendants as her former head of year at school. Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, were today jailed for the murder and abuse of their adopted baby Preston. Varley, a high school teacher from Blackpool, was handed a whole life order and his partner, McGowan-Fazakerley, was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The Couple's Background
The couple met on Canal Street in Manchester’s gay village in late 2018. They received approval for adoption in February 2022. They were matched with Preston, a nine-month-old in foster care, who “lit up the room” with his smiles. His adoption reports stated the little boy needed: “Love, affection, safety and stability.” Instead, he was sexually abused, tormented and treated as a “plaything” after he began living at their home in April 2022. On July 27, 2023, Preston was carried into Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at 7.18pm. The couple were given their sentences today at Preston Crown Court.
Varley's Profile
Jamie Varley was described in court as a self-confessed “Drama Queen” while John McGowan-Fazakerley, reserved and level-headed, was the “Steady Eddie” in their relationship. Varley was born in Newark but grew up in Blackpool, telling the jury that his mum, Karen Graham, a mum-of-six and “matriarchal” head of the family, was his “best friend”. He worked as a lifeguard and his dyslexia meant it took several years before he managed to become a teacher. He had been assisting in classrooms before he began taking his teaching qualifications. He started a full-time role as a design and technology teacher at South Shore High School, in Blackpool, in 2021. Varley was well regarded and promoted to a designated safeguarding lead with a significant pastoral role.
Juror's Recognition
During jury selection before the trial started, a panel of 60 potential jurors filed in to court and were asked if they recognised the men in the dock. But one woman recognised Varley. She told the judge: “He was my head of year at high school.” She was then excused from sitting on the jury.
McGowan-Fazakerley's Background
McGowan-Fazakerley grew up in Congleton in Cheshire. He attended The King’s School in Macclesfield, a 500-year-old private establishment, charging fees of £18,000 a year. After passing A-levels, he went to Nottingham Trent University, spending his second year on a study abroad scheme at Murdoch University, Australia, before transferring to Keele University, studying history and politics. After his degree, he did a Masters in politics, diplomatic studies and international relations and began a PhD, also teaching undergraduates at Keele and working as a campus bar manager. He gave up studying to start work in financial sales. He was promoted to northern sales manager in 2022 and worked in Salford Quays.
