Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey

A high school teacher has been found guilty of the murder and sexual abuse of a 13-month-old baby he treated as a "plaything".

--> 4 Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley <i>(Image: Lancashire Police)</i> Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey Baby Preston Davey was murdered by men who were meant to love and care for him <<span class="truncate"><span class="truncate-preview">i>(Image: Lancashire<span class="truncate-full-screen"> Police)</i></span></span></span> Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey John McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of Pre<span class="truncate"><span class="truncate-preview">ston Davey <i>(Image<span class="truncate-full-screen">: Lancashire Police)</i></span></span></span> Adoptive parent found guilty of murdering 13-month-old baby Preston Davey Jamie Varley sexually abused, injured and finally murdered Preston Davey <i>(Ima<span class="truncate"><span class="truncate-preview">ge: Lancashire Polic<span class="truncate-full-screen">e)</i></span></span></span> A high school teacher has been found guilty of the murder and sexual abuse of a 13-month-old baby he treated as a "plaything." Jamie Varley, 37, adopted Preston Davey at nine months old with his partner, ex-public schoolboy and financial sales manager, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32. Preston had been taken from his mother, Sarah Davey, now 42, by an emergency care order by Oldham Council. Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption, and at nine months old Preston began living at their home in Blackpool in April 2023. But in the just under four months he was in their care, he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries, a trial at Preston Crown Court heard. Baby Preston Davey was murdered by men who were meant to love and care for him (Image: Lancashire Police) When he died, Varley claimed Preston had drowned in the bath; however, medical tests proved this claim was a wicked lie. Following an eight-week trial, a jury spent around 14 hours deliberating before it returned to court to deliver verdicts. Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo. McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child. Jamie Varley sexually abused, injured and finally murdered Preston Davey (Image: Lancashire Police) Varley stood in the dock and put his hands to his face in shock as the guilty verdicts were read, before collapsing to his knees, retching and vomiting. His co-accused made no reaction, while McGowan-Fazakerley's father shook his head. Preston's mother and grandmother burst into tears, sobbing throughout as the 29 guilty verdicts were returned. Both defendants will not be sentenced today, and Mr Justice Turner said he will pass sentence on Thursday, June 18. Murderer Varley will be handed a mandatory life sentence, with Judge Turner deciding a minimum term he must serve before being considered for release. John McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of Preston Davey (Image: Lancashire Police) DCI Andy Fallows, who led the investigation, said following the verdicts: “As in any death of a child, there’s a procedure that kicks in, and officers attended and sought to understand the circumstances behind that. “Due to the information that we had, that Jamie provided, that Preston had been left in the bath, criminal offences were considered. “He was arrested that night, initially on suspicion of child neglect, and a Home Office post mortem took place. “It was quite clear that things weren’t quite as they presented in terms of what the pathologist found – no evidence of drowning – and then subsequently a number of expert tests were undertaken, and that provided us with a picture of a very different version of events than presented by Jamie Varley on that night. “It started there and took nearly three years to get to court, a lot of expert evidence that the jury’s heard over the last six weeks or so. "It has been a really complex and lengthy investigation in order to tell the story to the jury.” Asked if it was the most harrowing case he has worked on, DCI Fallows said: "I think every case is harrowing in its own right, but it would be difficult to disagree with that. “Any investigation involving the death of a child is harrowing enough, but when you see the circumstances behind this and what’s happened to that little boy over that four-month period he was in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley it’s really difficult not to be affected by that." On Varley, he said: "He has sought to deceive right from day one. “I think Jamie Varley has tried to control the narrative, and it’s only through working through these events and piecing them together and looking at them side by side, do you really see that he is a manipulative character, or he certainly has tried to be, and ultimately by adopting that approach we’ve been able to show him for what he is. “I think even in his evidence under cross-examination, you saw more of an obtuse, spiky side to him. “He’s a man who has claimed to have tried to assist the investigation and give the investigation answers in relation to what happened to Preston, but the reality is far different. “The reality is he’s concealed, he’s lied, his account is, or was, wholly inconsistent and disbelievable."