A former neighbour of Jamie Varley has disclosed the warning signs displayed by the former schoolteacher years before he sexually abused and murdered his adopted baby boy, Preston Davey. The 37-year-old, who lived in Grimsargh near Preston, is now serving a whole-life order for the killing of the 13-month-old.
Background of the Offender
On July 27, 2023, Preston suffered two sexual assaults at the hands of Varley, a secondary school teacher who had risen to become head of year and safeguarding lead at South Shore Academy in Blackpool. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, worked as an accounts manager for a finance firm. However, beneath this respectable facade lay a deeply troubling history.
Varley was raised on a council estate in Newark, the second youngest of six children, with no father listed on his birth certificate. He moved to Blackpool as a teenager. In contrast, his partner had a privileged, middle-class upbringing.
Former Neighbour's Account
A former neighbour, who lived next door to the family's Victorian mid-terrace property in Blackpool, described the household as an absolute "nightmare." The woman, a mother of five who has fostered around a dozen children, 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 recounted more disturbing encounters that left her deeply worried for her children's wellbeing: "He started shouting nasty abuse and ended up throwing lit cigarettes at their toys, trying to set them on fire." The offender's unpredictable conduct forced her to change her daily routine to protect her family. She said: "I wouldn't let my children play in the front of the house because of him, not unless I was on the doorstep. When his family moved out [in 2014], we put the flags out. How on earth he got to be a secondary school teacher, I really don't know."
Career and Further Warning Signs
Varley began his career at South Shore Academy as a design and technology technician, later attending university as a mature student and qualifying as a textiles teacher. Around seven years ago, he took a six-week absence from work, attributed to mental health difficulties, with rumours of a nervous breakdown.
During the Covid lockdown, Varley failed to appear for work after allegedly suffering a back injury from falling off a ladder or drainpipe while spying on a boyfriend he suspected of being unfaithful. The bizarre account circulated among acquaintances because Varley's severe narcissism meant he could not resist boasting about it.
Sentencing and Aftermath
After his sentencing at Preston Crown Court last month, Varley was added to the list of around 70 British criminals condemned to die behind bars, joining the likes of Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Jeremy Bamber. He is serving a whole-life order for the murder and sexual abuse of 13-month-old Preston Davey.
