Watch video capturing little murderd baby Preston Davey the way his loved ones will remember him
In the short clip filmed by his loving foster carer Paul Cooper, baby Preston can be seen happily laughing and kicking his legs.
Police have released a clip of little Preston Davey the way his loved ones will always remember him.
In the short clip filmed by his loving foster carer Paul Cooper, baby Preston can be seen happily laughing and kicking his legs. A clear contrast to pictures taken later in his life while he was living with killer teacher Jamie Varley and abuser John McGowan-Fazackerley.
Yesterday, evil ex-South Shore Academy teacher Varley, 37, was told he will spend the rest of his life behind bars after a judge sentenced him to a whole life order for murder, sexual assault and emotional and physical abuse of defenceless little Preston Davey.
His now ex-partner and fellow abuser John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was also jailed for 25 years for causing and allowing the death of a child; two counts of child cruelty and sexual assault. He will 49 before being eligible for parole but will remain on licence for the rest of his life.
The pair, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining will now have to live with their actions for the rest of their life.
Lancashire Police began investigating what happened to Preston after they were called by medics to Blackpool Victoria Hospital to the sudden and unexpected death of a child on July 27, 2023.
They arrived at the hospital to discover a theatrical Varley screaming and shouting and refusing to accept baby Preston had passed away.
A post mortem examination confirmed he had suffered 40 trauma injuries, with “in excess” of 30 ‘non-accidential’ bruises across his body.
Varley tried to explain away Preston’s death by claiming he had momentarily left him unattended in a bath. But officers could find no evidence of drowning.
Instead it is understood the youngster was the victim of sickening sexually abuse which led to his cardiac arrest.
Preston had being living with coupe in Staining Road, Staining for less than four months before he died.
Speaking about the ‘evil’ couple, DCI Fallows said: “It is not often in this job that you encounter pure evil.
“Anybody who has followed this trial will no doubt understand why I place Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley in that category.
“Almost from day one, they set about abusing Preston and making his short life a harrowing tale of misery and pain. It was this abuse that ultimately led to Preston’s death.
“For the first nine months of his life Preston was a happy and healthy child but by the end he was a broken shell. This was due to the sordid and wicked acts of Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley.
“I would like to thank the team of detectives, uniformed officers and members of police staff who have worked tirelessly to compile the evidence that has resulted today’s guilty verdicts.
“I would also like to thank the jury for their considered verdicts, the Crown Prosecution Service and our counsel Peter Wrights KC and Simon Driver.
“Throughout this trial we have tried to ensure the focus remained on baby Preston Davey, a little boy who was physically, sexually and psychologically abused by two individuals who were supposed to love and care for him.”
Preston Davey deserved better. Demand a national inquiry
The Blackpool Gazette and the Lancashire Post, backed by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Preston's birth parents Sarah Davey and Gary Nolan, are calling on the government to launch a national inquiry into the safeguarding failures that cost Preston his life.
We need answers. Specifically:
- Why were repeated warning signs - three hospital admissions, an abuser's own admission of dark thoughts, routine social worker contact - not acted on?
- Should children placed outside their home authority automatically be assigned a local social worker with direct oversight of their care?
- How are repeat hospital admissions for children in care shared between the NHS, the placing authority, and the authority where the child lives?
- Are adoption vetting procedures rigorous enough to stop prospective adopters hiding behind a false front?