UK toddler Preston Davey's murder results in whole‑life sentence for adoptive father

Schoolteacher Jamie Varley and his partner John McGowan‑Fazakerley bought a £449,995 detached house in the Lancashire village of Grimsargh just 22 days after the death of 13‑month‑old Preston Davey in July 2023. While neighbours saw a well‑kept family home, the couple were later arrested – Varley on suspicion of murder, child cruelty and sexual offences, and McGowan‑Fazakerley for causing or allowing a child's death. A police warrant was executed at the property in June 2024, and the pair were re‑arrested in 2025. At a seven‑week trial at Preston Crown Court, jurors heard that Preston had suffered around 40 injuries while in the couple’s care. Varley was convicted of murder, multiple sexual offences and causing grievous bodily harm, receiving a whole‑life order. McGowan‑Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, cruelty and sexual assault and was sentenced to 25 years.

The case, described by prosecutors as one of the most shocking child‑cruelty cases in the UK, highlighted serious failures in adoption checks and sparked renewed scrutiny of child‑protection procedures.