Jamie Varley, 37, has been sentenced to a whole-life term for the murder and sexual abuse of his 13-month-old adopted son, Preston Davey. The court heard that Varley recorded a sickening video of the baby just 90 minutes before he was rushed to hospital, showing Preston in extreme distress and taking agonal breaths.
Unremitting Abuse Leading to Death
Preston Crown Court was told that Varley inflicted 'unremitting abuse' on the child, including routine sexual assault and physical violence. The abuse began shortly after Varley and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, adopted Preston at nine months old. The baby was treated as a 'plaything,' according to the jury during the eight-week trial.
On July 27, 2023, Varley brought Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unresponsive, claiming he had left the child in the bath for a few minutes and found him submerged. However, a Home Office post-mortem examination ruled out drowning as the cause of death and revealed approximately 40 non-accidental internal and external injuries.
Disturbing Evidence Presented
The trial heard that indecent images and videos of the abuse were found, some of which 'cannot be unseen.' The footage ranged from Varley 'jump scaring' the exhausted baby to more lethal acts. In one video taken 90 minutes before hospitalisation, Preston was hardly breathing and in severe distress.
Preston had been taken to the hospital three times before his death with suspicious bruises, but Varley explained these away, and police did not pursue the matter. The child was also seen by multiple social workers and teachers, including colleagues of Varley, who worked as a head of year and design and technology teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool.
Sentencing and Justice
Varley was given a whole-life term, meaning he will never be eligible for parole, for a murder that 'shocked the nation.' McGowan-Fazakerley was sentenced to 25 years in prison for allowing the abuse and participating in sexual offences against the child.
The case has prompted widespread outrage and calls for improved safeguarding measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
