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Former teacher guilty of sexually abusing and murdering baby boy he wanted to adopt - CPS

509 replies

IwantToRetire · 15/06/2026 17:52

Distressing content
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A former teacher has been found guilty of sexually abusing and murdering a baby boy that he planned to adopt.

Jamie Varley, 37, was convicted at Preston Crown Court of murder, child cruelty, sexual offences and indecent images relating to 13-month-old Preston Davey.

John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was convicted of allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault.

Varley was in the process of adopting baby Preston (also known as Elijah) with his partner McGowan-Fazakerley. Just four months after being placed with the couple, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest. Sadly, Preston could not be saved.

Varley tried falsely claiming that Preston had accidentally drowned in a bath, but prosecutors were able to prove that his injuries were consistent with his airways being obstructed.

The evidence presented by the prosecution proved that in the final months of Preston’s life, he was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted – suffering more than 40 separate injuries.

CPS statement continues at https://www.cps.gov.uk/north-west/news/former-teacher-guilty-sexually-abusing-and-murdering-baby-boy-he-wanted-adopt

More from a BBC report - also distressing:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp77l79e9o

I thought there was a thread about this, but cant find one. But sorry if a duplicate.

I really only wanted to post out of respect for this poor baby and the horror of his short life.

RIP Flowers

Baby with curly light brown hair sitting in high chair. He has his finger in his mouth. He is wearing a baby grow with an elephant on it.

How adoptive parents' lies unravelled to reveal 'reign of terror'

Preston Davey died in hospital in July 2023 after months of sexual and physical abuse at the hands.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp77l79e9o

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
FlyingPlank · Yesterday 17:38

Re posts about independent review. Two social workers reviewed Preston's case after police notification was triggered by the broken arm at the third hospital visit.

They were Preston's SW (so representing Preston alone, not allocated to JV and JMF). She reassured JV: ' U absolutely did the right thing [taking him to hospital]' with a heart emoji. In her notes she wrote that Preston was pale and not himself: 'He tried to cry several times but then this changed to a very sad face and a little cry.'

And also a SW from Oldham council who visited separately, acting as the independent reviewer. Her notes said: 'You were happy there with both your daddies. And this made me ponder a little as to whether there was a problem I couldn't see. I decided there wasn't an issue.'

Both SW decided everything was OK and took no further action.

FlyingPlank · Yesterday 17:41

*Correction: 'He tried to smile several times but then this changed to a very sad face and a little cry.'

Jane379 · Yesterday 18:26

fartotheleftside · Yesterday 17:25

In both cases of adopted babies being murdered by their gay male parents, the main perpetrator has been a stay at home dad.

In adoption they require one person to be at home full-time for the first year.

They also don't encourage you to introduce them to wider family, friends etc for a while.

So many mums only get through maternity leave through seeing family, friends, and making new mum connections, through antenatal classes and baby groups.

It seems like an incredibly isolating thing to ask people to do when usually people use this time to build a new parenting network.

I wonder if men, as a result of male socialisation (they're not exactly primed to be self-sacrificing and have higher levels of aggression) sometimes cope with this scenario quite badly.

Varley's paedophilia can't have been caused by that. Cases of physical abuse only, maybe partly... but if you are really struggling, you ask for help, you don't beat the child. Such men must be evil already, surely?

guinnessguzzler · Yesterday 18:31

I have been following the case and there really aren't the words to describe just how truly awful it is.

I have seen this quote before @FlyingPlank And also a SW from Oldham council who visited separately, acting as the independent reviewer. Her notes said: 'You were happy there with both your daddies. And this made me ponder a little as to whether there was a problem I couldn't see. I decided there wasn't an issue.

I just don't understand how that final sentence follows from the rest.

fartotheleftside · Yesterday 18:44

Jane379 · Yesterday 18:26

Varley's paedophilia can't have been caused by that. Cases of physical abuse only, maybe partly... but if you are really struggling, you ask for help, you don't beat the child. Such men must be evil already, surely?

Show quote history

Yes that’s true. The other case of an adopted toddler being murdered by her adopted dad was out of frustration.

Preston seemed to have both sexual and non-sexual injuries on him.

DelphinoPlaza · Yesterday 18:50

logiccalls · Yesterday 13:44

It would seem sensible to let potential adopters first 'train' themselves by becoming foster parents: They would need to be very closely supported and supervised by other, more experienced, possibly retired foster parents, and some 'proxy grannies'. They would also need to be subject to frequent proper checks.

Technology could make this cheaper and easier. As well as visits to the home, and as well as an obligation to take the baby/child to medical check-ups, people could be asked to switch on a home camera, to record both the good and the bad interactions with the child. This would not be to find fault. It would show where they are doing well, and where there are difficulties, so they can be helped and advised by others who have experienced exactly the same problems: Foster parents and adopters have the necessary expertise: Social workers do not.

Home visits should not, or not only, be carried out by the peculiarly inept 'social workers', but always with cynical experienced knowledgeable experts, i.e. other existing or retired foster parents, (but not the ones already known to the novice foster parents, so with no personal bias or investment in 'approving' everything the potential parents do, because they are strangers, and not easily conned by manipulative or plausible 'friends').

Preston's foster mother, and his grandmother, were correctly alarmed, and incorrectly ignored. NHS professionals, and the unspeakably complacent, ideologically 'captured' social workers, were easily fobbed off.

Remember Baby P, whose mother smeared chocolate spread over his face to conceal injuries? Seven previous babies had been taken from her, but nothing made the social worker suspicious.

Nothing at present obliges a parent or prospective parent to attend a medical centre for the child to be stripped and checked and weighed, as well as vaccinated, at appropriate intervals. (And of course signs of venereal disease or penetration in anus or mouth or vagina should be routinely looked for, by an all female medical staff, as well as checking for 'female circumcision' i.e. female 'castration'.)

Knowing this will happen, at intervals, including to children of birth parents, would prevent a lot of abuse in the first place. Sarah Sharma and other children 'punished' by beating, and including 'home-schooled' children, would have been protected to some extent by knowing the law bans harming children, and knowing that parents are not, in Britain, slave-owners of their children, free to do as they like, to their own human 'property' regardless of injury.

I think cameras in homes is overkill. Even regular families with SS involvement would never be expected to do that. If I was an adopter, it would be a dealbreaker to adoption to be monitored in my own home cameras.

Also checking primary-age girls genitals for FGM. The vast majority of cultures do not practice this, it’s unnecessary trauma. And checking anuses also, please no.

Young children are already monitored in nursery. Older children need to feel safe to disclose abuse and warning signs actually followed.

ConveyancingHelll · Yesterday 19:12

hihelenhi · Yesterday 17:01

It isn't at all, and your constant bad faith posting on this is getting incredibly tiresome.

Yes, we know your main aim here is to attempt to prove that I and others who have very good reason to care about safeguarding and basic child protection are wrong, "lunatic fringe" and all the other childish insults you have chosen to throw at us, and believe the wishes of adopting adults take precedence over child safety needs, which you seem to have assumed we know nothing about either, including silly claims about things we are supposed to have said on other threads.

You vastly underestimate both my and others' experience and knowledge, btw. I and other adults know you're wrong, people who work in child protection and child abuse research know you're wrong, I'd be pretty certain further inquiries into Preston's murder would show you're wrong, most foster carers I know (and there are several, including my own family) know you're wrong. I'm not going to continue arguing with you. There really is little point in engaging with your posts. They are not remotely constructive.

As I said, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. You don't want it to be yours and want to continue to castigate people who prioitise it in favour of adult wishes? It's really up to you. But I find it unnecessary and unhelpful.

Show quote history

You claimed that adoptive parents are legally fosterers before the adoption order is made and are subject to the same rules as fosterers.

To prove this you quoted the law that covers early permanence. Also called ‘foster to adopt’ (the clue is in the name of- prospective adopters foster a child with a view to (possibly) having them placed for adoption.

You posted irrelevant law. I posted the actual law that relates to the legal status of adoptive parents before the adoption order.

and you accuse me of bad faith?!

Arran2024 · Yesterday 19:36

fartotheleftside · Yesterday 17:30

Show quote history

Thanks. That's very comprehensive.

So, my take is:

Preston was a difficult to place baby, presumably because of his background (which could include things we know nothing about) which is why the LA had to go looking for prospective adopters.

Birth mum wanted to keep the baby and grandmother wanted to help - this is not quite the same as grandmother wanting to be the full time carer. And birth mum being so involved was probably a no no. It can be difficult for grandmothers in this sort of situation- do they agree to go no contact with their daughter?

Preston's pic was not on the original profile.

Jane379 · Yesterday 21:24

DelphinoPlaza · Yesterday 18:50

I think cameras in homes is overkill. Even regular families with SS involvement would never be expected to do that. If I was an adopter, it would be a dealbreaker to adoption to be monitored in my own home cameras.

Also checking primary-age girls genitals for FGM. The vast majority of cultures do not practice this, it’s unnecessary trauma. And checking anuses also, please no.

Young children are already monitored in nursery. Older children need to feel safe to disclose abuse and warning signs actually followed.

Show quote history

Also checking primary-age girls genitals for FGM. The vast majority of cultures do not practice this, it’s unnecessary trauma.

  • this happens to all kids in France up to the age of 7- are most of them traumatised?

Checking anuses I don't think should be done. I also don't think cameras in homes would be a good move either.

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