The murder of 13-month-old baby Preston Davey has shocked the nation. This week, his birth mother Sarah Davey attended court to witness the sentencing of her son's killer, a man who inflicted unimaginable suffering on the infant. However, Davey herself has a dark past, having previously served a prison sentence for a horrific and unrelated crime.
The Sentencing of Preston's Killers
Secondary school teacher Jamie Varley, 37, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court to a whole life order for the murder and sexual abuse of Preston. Varley was in the process of adopting the child with his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a former public schoolboy and financial sales manager. McGowan-Fazakerley received a 25-year prison sentence for allowing Preston's death in July 2023 and for sexually abusing him. Both were convicted by a jury on Monday, June 15, following an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court.
The court previously heard that during the four months Preston was in their care, he was routinely ill-treated. Indecent images and videos were taken of him, and he suffered sexual abuse and physical assaults, resulting in 40 traumatic injuries.
Preston's Removal from His Mother
Preston had been taken from his mother, Sarah Davey, now 42, under an emergency care order by Oldham Council. He initially thrived in foster care before being placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. Davey stated she would "never forgive" the two men for their sickening crimes.
Sarah Davey's Criminal Past
Davey has spent time behind bars herself. She was previously ordered to serve a minimum of eight years and one day for the brutal murder of lonely widow Lily Lilley, 71, in Failsworth, Oldham, in September 1998. Davey, along with her friend Lisa Healey, then 15, befriended the frail pensioner at local shops.
Lily invited them into her home for a cup of tea. The pair then brutally tortured her by squirting shampoo in her eyes, cutting her with a knife, and tying a gag around her mouth so tightly that her dentures were forced down her throat, choking her to death. They then crammed her lifeless body into a bin and, laughing and giggling, walked it through the streets before throwing it into the Rochdale Canal. After the killing, they made hundreds of calls from her phone, used her pension money to buy crisps and chocolate, and trashed her home.
The crime was described by the trial judge, Mr. Justice Sachs, as "unspeakably wicked." Davey has been released and recalled to prison on three occasions, according to the Parole Board. On the last occasion, she was released in August 2021 but recalled to custody on November 2, 2021, for an unspecified breach of her release terms. It was during this period that she became pregnant with Preston.
Davey attended parts of the trial of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. The terms of her current release include good behavior, disclosure of relationships, and enhanced drug monitoring.
Reactions and Reviews
Following the sentencing, a spokesperson for Adoption Now, the company that approved the two men as prospective adoptive parents, said: "This was a deeply upsetting case, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by these truly awful crimes. Adoption Now follows a strict and rigorous process in line with all relevant legislation and guidance in the assessment and approval of adopters. An independent Child Safeguarding Practice Review is being completed."
A spokesperson for Oldham Council expressed gratitude that "the perpetrators of the sickening murder and abuse of an innocent child" have faced justice. They also confirmed that a review is underway to examine the handling of Preston's safeguarding.
