A former neighbour of Jamie Varley, the schoolteacher who sexually abused and murdered his adopted 13-month-old son Preston Davey, has revealed she reported him to police years before the killing, describing his behaviour as a 'nightmare'.
Neighbour's Account of Varley's Behaviour
The woman, a mother-of-five who has fostered around a dozen children, lived opposite Varley's Victorian mid-terrace home in Grimsargh, Lancashire. She told the Daily Mail: 'He [Varley] was horrible. I had to report him to the police and to the housing association for anti-social behaviour and criminal damage but he was never arrested.' She added that she was concerned for her children's safety, saying: 'He started shouting nasty abuse and ended up throwing lit cigarettes at their toys, trying to set them on fire.' The neighbour stated she would not let her children play in the front of the house unless she was on the doorstep. When Varley's family moved out in 2014, she said: 'We put the flags out. How on earth he got to be a secondary school teacher, I really don't know.'
Varley's Background and Career
Varley, 37, was raised on a council estate in Newark as the second youngest of six children, with no father recorded on his birth certificate. He moved to Blackpool as a teenager. He began working at South Shore Academy as a design and technology technician, later attending university as a mature student and qualifying as a textiles teacher. He rose to become head of year and safeguarding lead at the school. Around seven years ago, he took a six-week absence from work, with colleagues told it was linked to mental health difficulties. During the Covid pandemic lockdown, he failed to report for work after allegedly falling from a ladder or drainpipe while spying on a boyfriend he suspected of being unfaithful.
The Murder of Preston Davey
Preston Davey was born on June 16, 2022, to Sarah Davey, a convicted murderer. Five days later, the 5lb 7oz baby was taken into the care of Oldham Council. Varley and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were approved for adoption in January 2023, and Preston began living with them in Blackpool in April 2023 at nine months old. Over the following months, Varley subjected Preston to escalating physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. McGowan-Fazakerley turned a blind eye and on July 23, 2023, participated in a joint attack on Preston as he slumped over the bars of his cot. On July 27, 2023, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at 7.18pm. On that day, Varley committed two unspeakable sexual assaults on the defenceless toddler.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Varley is now serving a whole-life order for the murder, joining approximately 70 notorious British criminals condemned to die in prison, including Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Jeremy Bamber. His partner, former public schoolboy John McGowan-Fazakerley, worked as an accounts manager for a finance firm. The neighbour's account highlights the warning signs that were present years before the tragedy.
