WARNING: Distressing content.
A high school teacher has been found guilty of the sexual abuse and murder of a 13-month-old baby boy he was in the process of adopting, in a case prosecutors described as one of the most disturbing they had encountered.
Jamie Varley, 36, was convicted by a jury at a UK court after a seven-week trial into the death of little Preston Davey, who died in July 2023 just months after being placed in the care of the former teacher and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, the Crown Prosecution Service wrote in a statement.
Mr Varley threw up in the dock as he was unanimously found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm and sexual assault of a child, according to The Sun.
He was also convicted of 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child and one of making an indecent photo.
Mr McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was found guilty of sexual assault, child cruelty and allowing the death of a child.
Preston Crown Court heard of the sickening abuse baby Preston was subjected to during the time he spent in the care of Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazakerley.
Four months after being placed with the pair, Preston was rushed unconscious to Blackpool Victoria Hospital but he could not be saved by medical staff.
The pair were captured on CCTV rushing the “floppy” baby to emergency while Varley begged, “Don’t let him die. Please don’t let him die,” news.com.au reports.
Mr Varley then pleaded with hospital staff to “kill me” and wailed loudly, “It’s all my fault” when he was told Preston wouldn’t make it.
After the baby’s death, Mr Varley falsely claimed Preston had drowned in a bathtub, but prosecutors proved his injuries were consistent with his airways being obstructed.
Evidence presented revealed that Preston was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused, physically assaulted and suffered more than 40 injuries at the hands of the couple.
In a tragic revelation, baby Preston had a rough start to life before his death, with court proceedings revealing his birth mother’s history of violent crime.
Sarah Davey was 14-years-old when she tortured and murdered 71-year-old Lily Lilley at her home in Manchester in 1999. She spent several years in and out of jail and Preston was sent to foster care when she was sent back to prison.
He was later placed with Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2023 after the couple completed the required assessment process.He was placed with Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2023 after the couple completed the required assessment process.
But after struggling to look after Preston due to a lack of sleep, Mr Varley sent disturbing texts to his sister, who was a baby sleep trainer.
“He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours,” he wrote.
Preston’s’ final visit to the hospital before he died was not the first. He was taken to the emergency department three time while in the couple’s care.
Prosecutor Peter Wright KC said: “Preston’s death was a tragedy waiting to happen. Mr McGowan-Fazakerley knew that but chose to ignore it.”
Karen Tonge for the Crown Prosecution Service said the case had rocked her to the core.
“Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley had a responsibility to care for and protect baby Preston. They violated that responsibility and 13-month-old Preston was abused with sickening ease,” she said.
“It is difficult to comprehend how the very people who should have loved him could inflict such sickening physical and sexual harm on an innocent child.
“No child should have to go through what Preston went through in the last four months of his short life and I cannot begin to imagine the toll this has taken on those that loved Preston. My thoughts remain with them all.”
Mr Varley and Mr McGowan-Fazakerley will be sentenced on Thursday.
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