Jamie Varley, who received a whole life order for the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, sentenced to 25 years, are 'utterly naive' to the horrors of prison and will enter at the bottom of the 'hierarchy of morality', according to ex-inmate Steve Gallant.
Sentencing and Crimes
Varley, 32, was handed a whole life order for the murder of Preston Davey, whom he and McGowan-Fazakerley adopted before subjecting him to months of sexual abuse, physical violence and psychological torment. McGowan-Fazakerley, also 32, was sentenced to 25 years for allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault of a child, and will serve a minimum of 16 years.
Prison Hierarchy
Steve Gallant, who served 16 years in prison and later received a Queen's Gallantry Medal for thwarting the London Bridge attacker, told the Mirror: 'Neither of them have got previous convictions, which means they are utterly naive to what they can expect to happen. The gangster or the armed robber is at the top of that hierarchy, but the sex offender, or somebody who might be called a 'grass', will be at the bottom of the pile and they'll be treated badly throughout the system.'
Vulnerable Prisoner Units
Due to the nature of their crimes, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley will likely be housed in a vulnerable prisoner unit within a Category A jail. However, Gallant warns this does not guarantee safety. 'Ian Huntley was on a similar unit in Frankland. Even in those environments, they're not safe. There will be staff around them, but when you step into the Cat A prisons where these two will end up going, the vulnerability and the dangerousness of those types of prisons is such that even those on VP units are very hostile towards each other.'
Suicide Monitoring and Violence
Both will probably be placed under suicide monitoring, but Gallant notes this likely won't shield them. 'I was convicted many, many years ago and put on suicide watch, but I wasn't segregated. It just meant someone would come to my cell and ask me if I was OK and then they'd leave again. So it doesn't really add much to the protection.'
Assaults in Category A jails are common, with makeshift weapons like shivs and boiling water used. 'Everyone has a kettle in their cell. You get that thrown on you and would get scarred quite badly,' Gallant said.
Targeted Attacks
Gallant added: 'Varley is going to be very, very vulnerable, even on the VP unit, because of what he did to that child, make no mistake about it. And my assumption is that at some point he's probably going to get targeted.'
Official Statements
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, who led the murder inquiry, said: 'Jamie Varley is an evil and monstrous individual who sexually, physically and mentally abused a vulnerable baby for his own sadistic pleasure. It was this abuse that ultimately led to little baby Preston's death.'
The NSPCC commented: 'This trial and sentencing hearing have revealed the full extent of the pain and suffering endured by Preston Davey in his short life. To learn of the abuse inflicted on him by Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley before his murder is harrowing and deeply upsetting, and it must drive thorough and meaningful review and scrutiny.'
