Blackpool teacher and partner convicted in death of adopted infant Preston Davey

A Preston Crown Court jury found high‑school teacher Jamie Varley, 37, guilty of murder and his partner John McGowan‑Fazackerley, 32, guilty of allowing the death of their adopted 13‑month‑old son, Preston Davey. The boy, born premature in June 2022, entered foster care and was placed with the couple in April 2023 in Blackpool. Over the following months, medical staff noted multiple bruises and injuries, and social services were alerted, but the concerns were not acted upon. On 27 July 2023, Varley reported finding Preston submerged in a bathtub; despite extensive resuscitation attempts, the child was pronounced dead at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. A post‑mortem identified acute upper‑airway obstruction as the cause of death and documented around 40 external and internal injuries, including signs of sexual and physical abuse. Both men denied the charges throughout a six‑week trial, but the jury delivered guilty verdicts on 15 June 2026.