Adoptive father Jamie Varley receives whole‑life order for murder of infant Preston Davey

Jamie Varley was sentenced to a whole‑life order after being convicted of murdering his 13‑month‑old adopted son, Preston Davey, and of multiple sexual and physical offences. His partner, John McGowan‑Fazackerley, was sentenced to 25 years for causing or allowing a child's death and other child‑cruelty offences.

The case revealed a series of missed warnings by health, police and social‑care agencies. Preston had been placed in emergency foster care shortly after birth, adopted in March 2023, and suffered severe abuse over the next four months before his death in July 2023. Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Southeast called the tragedy a “failure of the state and the safeguarding system” and urged reforms such as a Child Protection Authority and a single unique identifier for children’s records.

Following the sentencing, Varley spent his first night in HMP Wakefield’s “Monster Mansion” in segregation, reportedly sobbing while other inmates shouted threats, according to prison insiders.