A former prisoner has warned that Jamie Varley, the killer of 13-month-old Preston Davey, will face a harrowing experience behind bars, describing him as the worst type of inmate. Varley, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday after being found guilty of murder and sexual abuse of the toddler he had adopted with his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32.
Conviction and Reaction
At Preston Crown Court, Varley, a high school teacher, reacted with shock as the guilty verdicts were read, collapsing to his knees and vomiting. Preston died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July 2023 after enduring 40 external and internal traumatic injuries over four months while in the couple's care at their Blackpool home.
Charges and Co-Defendant
Varley was convicted of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent images, distributing an indecent image, and making an indecent image. McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty, and one count of sexual assault.
Ex-Prisoner's Warning
Rich Jones, a former British Army veteran who served seven years for conspiracy to supply cocaine, stated that Varley's offenses place him at the bottom of the prison hierarchy. He compared Varley to Ian Watkins of the band Lost Prophets, saying, "These are the worst. The lowest of ones."
Jones predicted Varley would be sent to a high-security Category A prison like HMP Wakefield, known as "Monster Mansion" for housing notorious criminals. He warned that Varley would need protection but would still be at risk, noting that even in segregation, other inmates may target him for the severity of his crimes.
Jones added that Varley could be vulnerable to attacks from inmates seeking kudos or through debts, emphasizing that there is a hierarchy among sex offenders and Varley is at the very bottom.
Prosecutor's Statement
Karen Tonge from the Crown Prosecution Service described the case as one of the most shocking and horrific she has encountered, stating that Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley violated their responsibility to protect Preston, inflicting awful physical and sexual harm on an innocent child.
