Teacher Jamie Varley found guilty of murdering adopted 13-month-old son after months of abuse

Verdict at Preston Crown Court

After an eight-week trial, Jamie Varley, 37, a secondary school head of year, was convicted of murdering his adopted 13-month-old son, Preston Davey. The jury also found him guilty of 25 other offences, including two counts of assault by penetration, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent images or videos, distributing an indecent image and child cruelty.

His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a financial sales manager, was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of sexual assault of a child.

The abuse of Preston Davey

Preston Davey was taken into care five days after birth, and at nine months old he was adopted by the couple in April 2023. He began living at their home in Blackpool, Lancashire. Over the following four months, Preston was “routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted”, the prosecution told the court. A post-mortem examination found 40 traumatic injuries and the cause of death was acute upper airways obstruction caused by smothering or an object inserted into the mouth.

Varley’s lies and police assessment

When Varley rushed the baby to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on 27 July 2023, he told medical staff he had left the child in the bath for two or three minutes and returned to find him submerged.

“It’s my fault - I left him for literally two minutes while I went and got changed.”

Lancashire Police Det Ch Insp Andy Fallows, the senior investigating officer, said Varley’s behaviour in hospital was “almost like a pantomime” and that he had shown himself to be a manipulator who kept changing his account.

“Jamie Varley is a manipulator.”

Partner’s conviction and reactions in court

McGowan-Fazakerley, a former public schoolboy, showed no reaction as the guilty verdicts were returned, while his father shook his head. Varley collapsed to his knees, wretching and vomiting in the dock. Preston’s biological mother, Sarah Davey, and grandmother sobbed loudly throughout the reading of the 29 guilty verdicts.

Sentencing on Thursday

Both defendants were remanded in custody. Mr Justice Turner said he would pass sentence on Thursday 18 June. Varley faces a mandatory life sentence for murder, with the other charges carrying significant additional prison terms.