A former neighbour of Jamie Varley, the former schoolteacher convicted of sexually abusing and murdering his adopted 13-month-old son Preston Davey, has revealed chilling details about his behaviour long before the crime. The neighbour described living opposite Varley as an absolute 'nightmare' and branded him 'horrible'. Varley, 37, originally from Grimsargh, Lancashire, is now serving a whole-life order for the brutal killing on July 27, 2023.
Neighbour's Disturbing Account
The woman, a mother of five who has fostered around 12 children, told the Daily Mail that she reported Varley to the police and the housing association for anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, but he was never arrested. She said: 'He 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 added that Varley would shout abusive language and throw lit cigarettes at her children's toys, attempting to set them on fire. She recalled: '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.'
Varley's Background and Career
Before his conviction, Varley had advanced to become head of year and safeguarding lead at South Shore Academy in Blackpool. He was raised on a council estate in Newark, the second youngest of six siblings, with no father listed on his birth certificate. He moved to Blackpool as a teenager. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, a former public schoolboy, worked as an accounts manager. Around seven years ago, Varley took a six-week leave of absence for mental health issues. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he failed to report to work due to a reported back injury sustained after falling from a ladder or drainpipe while spying on a former partner he suspected of infidelity.
The Tragic Death of Preston Davey
Preston was born on June 16, 2022, to Sarah Davey, a convicted murderer. He was taken into care by Oldham Council five days after birth. Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption in January 2023, and Preston moved into their Blackpool home in April 2023. In the following months, Varley subjected the baby to physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. McGowan-Fazakerley ignored the abuse and participated in a joint assault on Preston on July 23, 2023, as the child slumped over his cot bars. On July 27, Preston was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead at 7:18 pm. Varley was sentenced at Preston Crown Court last month and added to the list of around 70 notorious British criminals serving whole-life orders, alongside Wayne Couzens, Levi Bellfield, and Jeremy Bamber.
