Child killer Jamie Varley, 37, was left 'sobbing and quaking' after being transferred to HMP Wakefield, one of Britain's most notorious prisons, where inmates allegedly vowed to be 'the one to hurt him first'. The former teacher was recently moved to the Category A jail after being sentenced to life for the sexual abuse and murder of his 13-month-old adopted son, Preston Davey.
Hostile Welcome at HMP Wakefield
Sources claim prisoners at HMP Wakefield gave Varley a hostile welcome by hammering on cell doors and shouting threats as he arrived. A source said: 'There's a bounty on his head, everyone wants to be the one to hurt him first, and he was made very aware of that as he entered the prison.'
The source added: 'The other prisoners knew he was coming and they waited for him. They want him scared and they want to make his time inside as awful as they can – and now he knows he has a lot of time inside to serve. He is never getting out, there is no way out of this hell for him.'
Segregation and Constant Supervision
Varley is understood to be in segregation under constant supervision, with prison authorities seeking to protect him from other inmates as well as concerns that he could harm himself. Retired prison governor Vanessa Frake-Harris MBE said his offences against a defenceless child would make him a permanent target.
She told the Daily Mail: 'He will be targeted by a wide cross-section of the prison population, from general population inmates looking for 'street cred' to highly violent Category A offenders who view murdering child abusers as a form of distorted vigilante justice.'
Psychological Warfare Ahead
Frake-Harris warned Varley would face 'non-stop psychological warfare', including chants, death threats and being loudly labelled a 'nonce' or 'beast' whenever he leaves his cell. Wakefield has a fearsome reputation and houses some of Britain's most dangerous offenders.
Last year, inspectors warned violence at the prison had 'increased markedly', with serious assaults rising sharply. Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, said: 'I would imagine its newest high-profile prisoner will be a major target for individuals who find his offence as repulsive as the general public. If I was him I would stay in segregation.'
Conviction and Sentence
Varley was convicted following an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court, which heard Preston suffered months of horrific abuse before his death in 2023. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, was jailed for 25 years after being convicted of sexual abuse, child cruelty and allowing the toddler's death.
