A former inmate has warned that Jamie Varley, the 37-year-old man convicted of sexually abusing and murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey, will face severe retribution behind bars. Varley is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday for the horrific crimes committed against the toddler he and his partner had adopted.
Former Inmate Predicts Violent Consequences
Rich Jones, who served seven years for conspiracy to supply cocaine, stated that Varley will be targeted by other prisoners. He compared Varley to Ian Watkins, the disgraced Lost Prophets singer who was killed in prison last year. Jones said: "These are the worst. The lowest of ones. Like Ian Watkins, the one from Lost Prophets, he’s on that kind of level isn’t he."
Varley is likely to be sent to a high-security Category A prison, such as Wakefield's so-called Monster Mansion, where Watkins was killed. Jones added: "He will need to be under protection because he will be got to. And as you see, they get got to anyway, look at Huntley. Ian Watkins was slashed in the throat a while ago, so they can be found."
Details of the Crimes
Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, six counts of child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault, and multiple counts of taking and distributing indecent photographs. He regularly abused and assaulted Preston, who had been adopted just four months before being smothered to death. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was also found guilty of allowing the death of a child, child cruelty, and sexual assault.
During the trial, Varley vomited in the dock as the verdict was read. Jones believes Varley has genuine reason to fear for his safety: "With his level of offence, even if he is in segregation, there will be others in there, still really moody offences, but they will still be looking for a bit of kudos to get him because of the severity of what he has done."
Hierarchy Among Sex Offenders
Jones explained that there is a hierarchy even among sex offenders, and Varley sits at the very bottom. He said: "Another way people will access him is if somebody on the wing has a debt of some kind. If they want a vendetta, the person they owe money to might say ‘Well look, I will wind your debt off if you go and do him in your cell.’ So there’s loads of things that could potentially happen, and none of them are going to be good."
Preston's Tragic Death
Just four months after being placed with the couple, Preston was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Varley lied in court, claiming Preston accidentally drowned in a bath, but prosecutors proved his injuries were consistent with blocked airways. Evidence showed that in his final months, Preston suffered more than 40 separate injuries from regular mistreatment and abuse.
Prosecutor Karen Tonge described it as "one of the most shocking and horrific cases I have dealt with in my career." Preston's biological father, Gary Nolan, 43, said: "My son should be alive today and not dead. He went through four months of terror at the hands of a monster."
