The mother of murdered baby Preston Davey was once considered one of Britain's most notorious teenage killers after brutally attacking an elderly woman and disposing of her body in a canal.
As Jamie Varley faces a life sentence for the appalling murder of 13-month-old Preston, it can now be disclosed that the infant's mother Sarah was just 14 years old when she and an accomplice attacked frail Lily Lilley, 71, in Failsworth, Greater Manchester.
The pair befriended the vulnerable pensioner at her home before being invited inside for tea, whereupon they taunted her, squirted her with shampoo and slashed her legs with a knife.
Her body was placed in a wheelie bin before they pushed it through the streets and tipped it into a canal. They had choked her with a gag fastened so tightly that her false teeth were forced down her throat. A framed photograph of her son as a baby was discarded into the bin.
The duo then took over her home, making hundreds of calls from her telephone and spending her pension money on crisps and chocolate. Davey was detained indefinitely in 1999 for what the judge described as an "unspeakably wicked" murder, reports the Mirror.
Preston's grandmother, Debra Davey, 66, said her daughter, now 43, had anticipated that details of her crime would re-emerge once the verdicts were delivered. She said: "She's worried about it all coming out again, but I've told her, it's all about Preston, it isn't about her."
Reflecting on her grandson's tragic death, she said: "I've had some bad things happen in my life, but this is by far the worst."
Debra explained they intended for her to look after Preston, but the arrangement collapsed when she received a breast cancer diagnosis. "That's the reason I couldn't have him. I was diagnosed literally the next day after he was born. They said I couldn't have him because of that. His foster parents were lovely people, but I didn't see him after that."
Debra recalled being "hysterical" when informed of Preston's death in July 2023. Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were arrested but released on bail as investigations continued. She explained: "It went on for two years. I used to argue with them [the police] all the time. 'Why aren't they in custody?' It all took such a long time."
She was present at the trial's beginning, but poor health prevented her attendance as proceedings continued. Speaking about Varley, she stated: "It's killing me. It's disgusting. He should never see the light of day again."
Debra admitted she couldn't bring herself to contemplate the suffering little Preston experienced during his brief time with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. "Varley, he's not right in the head, he just looks evil, the things he's done. Things no-one would think of doing, he's sick in the head. And McGowan-Fazakerley, of course he knew. You don't live in the same house as someone and not know what's going on, especially things like that. I think there's a lot to come out about him."
She stated that social services, the adoption agency and hospital staff all have questions to answer regarding why Preston's case was never flagged up. "You hope things would change, but it doesn't, does it. It's unreal, I can't take it in really. Alarm bells should have been ringing. When it all happened all we could hear was apologies. But it's not their grandchild."
Preston's mother was released in March 2024 following a parole board ruling. She had repeatedly violated the conditions of her original murder conviction. She was initially freed in March 2013 but was continually recalled having been released on licence on seven separate occasions beforehand.
An Oldham Council spokesperson commented: "The death of any child is a tragedy, but this is a particularly heart-wrenching and disturbing case. We are thankful that the perpetrators of the sickening murder and abuse of an innocent child have today been convicted for their crimes."
An independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review is already underway, which will examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding. Our thoughts remain with Preston's family, loved ones, and the many people affected by this case.
Karen Tonge from the Crown Prosecution Service described it as "one of the most shocking and horrific cases I have dealt with in my career". She added: "Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley had a responsibility to care for and protect baby Preston. They violated that responsibility and 13-month-old Preston was abused with sickening ease. It is difficult to comprehend how the very people who should have loved him could inflict such sickening physical and sexual harm on an innocent child."
