Smiling baby, hidden horror: how adoptive parents betrayed Preston

Preston Davey suffered around 40 injuries while in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazackerley

To neighbours and friends, they appeared to be a loving couple building a family. Behind closed doors, prosecutors said, a very different reality unfolded.

A jury at Preston Crown Court found that 13-month-old Preston Davey was subjected to months of abuse before being murdered by his adoptive father, Jamie Varley. His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, was convicted over his role in the abuse that preceded the child’s death.

A New Beginning Turns Into a Nightmare

Preston had already faced a difficult start in life. Placed with foster carers when he was just days old, he spent his first nine months with a family who described him as a happy and thriving child.

In April 2023, he moved into the home of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley after they successfully completed the adoption process. Within weeks, concerns began to emerge behind the carefully maintained image of family life.

Messages shown to jurors revealed growing frustration from Varley, who complained about sleepless nights and described the baby as “annoying” and “very needy”.

Disturbing Pattern Hidden in Plain Sight

Over the following months, Preston was repeatedly taken to hospital with illnesses and injuries.

Evidence presented during the trial included photographs and videos taken by Varley himself. Prosecutors argued the material exposed a pattern of physical, psychological and sexual abuse rather than the loving family life he later claimed existed.

Medical experts identified dozens of injuries, including trauma consistent with repeated assaults and sexual abuse.

The Bath-Time Story Unravels

When Preston was rushed to hospital on 27 July 2023, Varley claimed the child had suffered an accident in the bath.

But investigators found no evidence supporting that account. Medical examinations concluded the injuries were non-accidental and that the cause of death was airway obstruction, not drowning.

Prosecutors accused Varley of constructing a false narrative to conceal what had happened. The jury ultimately agreed.

The Veneer Finally Cracks

Throughout the trial, Varley portrayed himself as a devoted father whose family life revolved around dancing, laughter and happy memories.

Detectives saw something else. The senior investigating officer described him as a manipulative and controlling figure who repeatedly sought to mislead investigators.

The case has left profound questions about how abuse can remain hidden behind appearances. What looked from the outside like the picture of a modern family concealed months of suffering that ended in the death of a vulnerable child who had already faced more hardship than most experience in a lifetime.

Behind the facade of Jamie Varley, the 'wicked, arrogant liar' who abused and murdered his baby son