Laura’s previous reports on the Preston Davey murder case – a baby ‘routinely abused’ by gay adoptive parents until his death at 13 months – have covered the evidence and the jury’s unanimous verdict. Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley were found guilty of all charges in connection with the murder of Preston.
Varley was sentenced on Thursday to a whole life term for murder. McGowan-Fazakerley, convicted of allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault, was sentenced to 25 year, and will serve at least two-thirds of that behind bars.
In this post Laura reports His Honour Mr Justice Turner’s sentencing remarks (with thanks to the Manchester Evening News) before examining the state’s culpability and woke doctrines that exposed Preston to this horrendous abuse and murder. Readers again are warned of distressing details.
MR Justice Turner: ‘Preston was 13 months old when he was murdered by you, Jamie Varley, on 27th July 2023. Over the previous four months you and John McGowan-Fazakerley had been responsible for his care as his adoptive parents.
‘Three days ago, following a trial lasting over six weeks, you were both convicted unanimously by the jury on an indictment containing 28 counts relating in different ways on different occasions to your unremitting abuse of Preston.
‘You had been together as a couple since 2019. In December 2021 you registered as prospective adopters. On March 9th, 2023, you were approved.
‘Preston had been born 16th June 2022 and was promptly placed in the care of experienced registered foster carers both who read statements telling of the impact of Preston’s death on them. Statements have also been read by Preston’s birth parents.
‘The impact on all have been devastating.
‘Preston spent his first night with you on March 31st, 2023. You, Jamie Varley, were the primary carer. You, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were out at work but taking active care during evenings and weekends.
‘Unfortunately Preston was restless at nights waking frequently – otherwise he was described as a dream to care for. You began to complain that he was not sleeping and it was having an impact on your relationship.
(Addressing Jamie Varley) ‘I do not doubt your professional background as a teacher and your charm and easy manner did much to reassure professionals all was okay – when clearly it was not. On April 17th you took the first indecent images of Preston. I will not descend into unnecessary detail.
‘On April 19th you, Jamie Varley, took two pictures of Preston in the bath with bruises on his forehead. This was the first of a number of photos showing bruises. Even in the context of babies learning to crawl and sustaining bumps and bruises, there is no doubt through the number and location that these were non-accidental. Post-mortem bruises were found on Preston’s head, both legs, back and arms.’
On May 25 Preston was admitted to hospital where he had a seizure, the judge said. His condition was attributed to a chest infection but two bruises raised safeguarding concerns which were alerted to the police.
‘You gave the reason Preston had started crawling and the bruises were down to him bumping his head.
‘On June 15th you, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were late from work. You, Jamie Varley, took out your frustration on Preston. You took a video of the chilling act of sleep deprivation and sent it to McGowan-Fazakerley who must have formed a clear view of what you were prepared to do to Preston.’
The judge says a further video later shows Preston very unwell and Varley reported to McGowan-Fazakerley that he had a seizure. ‘I’m sure that was caused by your abuse,’ he says. ‘He had a broken arm – due to abuse.
‘On June 30th he had a temperature and rash and was vomiting. A nurse again noted bruising. You showed a video of Preston pulling a toy box on to him but that cannot have caused the bruises because it had been taken two weeks earlier.
‘On July 6th Preston was taken [to hospital] with a fracture to his arm. You gave a variety of explanations but you, Jamie Varley, were convicted of GBH.
‘While Preston had his arm in a cast you told a friend you were having harmful thoughts relating to drowning or suffocation. It was to prove to be a terrible omen. You went on to say you were not going to act on these thoughts.
‘On July 23th, 2023, four days before Preston’s death, it was a Sunday and you were both at home. Jamie Varley took seven images showing Preston draped over the bars of his cot with his neck in direct contact with the bars. You do not need medical training to realise this was an alarmingly dangerous position.
‘You, John McGowan-Fazakerley, witnessed this and rather than laying Preston down to rest took part in a joint sexual assault. His lips were turning blue due to lack of oxygen, forming the basis of the charges of sexual assault.
‘At about 4.30pm on the same afternoon you, Jamie Varley, took a picture of Preston’s bottom which appears abnormal. This is evidence of the assault by penetration.
‘The following day 7.30am you, John McGowan-Fazakerley, had left for work. You, Jamie Varley, set up your phone to record Preston alone in the bath. The video shows him floundering about and losing his balance. No one, let alone an adoptive parent and teacher, could watch this and not realise the obvious cruelty.
‘July 27th was the day of Preston’s murder.
‘You, Jamie Varley, were alone at home with Preston. At 4.35pm he was having a seizure. You videoed it. I’m sure it was caused by your further abuse – his lips were again blue.
‘The expert says he must have stopped breathing for 45 seconds or so and seemed to take no breaths for 15 seconds. He was clearly in need of medical attention and I’m sure the reason you did not seek it because of what you had done to him.
‘Your abuse that afternoon resulted in further injuries to Preston’s pelvic organs found on post mortem. They were not causative of his death but they show sexual assault.
‘You, Jamie Varley, say he made a full recovery of the seizure when you put him in the bath and left him momentarily, and you left him alone in the bath seat.
‘There was no evidence of drowning and the Home Office pathologist formed the conclusion he died from acute upper airways obstruction. I am sure it was your penis or other hard object that caused the bruising to Preston’s throat.
‘You were the only person with Preston that afternoon Jamie Varley. You did this. You murdered him.’
The judge told the court that at 6.15pm McGowan-Fazakerley returned home but it was too late to save the child. He was taken to hospital but pronounced dead later that evening.
The judge said: ‘Judges do not exercise a free-ranging expression when passing sentence but must follow the guidance of the Sentencing Council.
‘Turning to you, Jamie Varley, there is only one sentence for murder which is life imprisonment. However, I’m required to determine a minimum term, if there is to be one, before you can apply for parole. Where the court considers the seriousness of the offence or combination is exceptionally high the appropriate starting point for an adult is a whole life order.
‘Cases that would normally fall within this include the murder of a child if involving sexual or sadistic motivation. I am sure that your motivation fell within the parameters of this.
‘The facts of the case must leave the court in no doubt the offender must be kept in prison for the rest of their life. A whole life order is a sentence of last resort for cases of the most extreme gravity, reserved for a few exceptionally serious cases. If a judge is in any doubt, the minimum term is likely to be the appropriate disposal.
‘In your case, Jamie Varley, not only the circumstances of Preston’s murder are to be taken into account but all the offences leading up to it over the previous months. The seriousness of your offending is exceptionally high even in the general context of murder, and the appropriate starting point is a whole life order.
‘Aggravating features are: Preston was particularly vulnerable – not just a child but a baby; both mental and physical suffering was caused before; there was a gross abuse of trust placed in you as adoptive parents; guilty pleas would have been relevant but this cannot be advanced.
‘I accept you did not intend to kill Preston despite the fact it was almost inevitable your assault would cause really serious injury. Your assaults fall into a pattern of repeated and persistent abuse. You are of good character. However, that is one of the factors that led to earlier suspicions of your abuse being overlooked by professionals.
‘Balancing the aggravating and mitigating features I’m satisfied a starting point of a whole life order is necessary. This is a case of the utmost gravity. You will stay in prison for the whole of your life. You will never be released.’
The judge then dealt with the other counts, including GBH.
The total sentence for McGowan-Fazakerley consisted of consecutive sentences.
The judge said: ‘Preston was particularly vulnerable and you acted together with Varley in an abuse of trust.
‘Your good character is a very modest mitigating factor. Your egregious behaviour on this day falls for a consecutive sentence. On the cruelty charge, this involved gratuitous degradation of Preston.’
* * *
Preston was born on June 16, 2022. He was taken into care after spending a few days with his birth mother who herself was convicted of the horrific murder of a pensioner when she was just 14. Preston’s grandmother could not look after him as she was diagnosed with cancer.
A pre-adoption medical exam, carried out by Dr Mukherjee, a consultant paediatrician with an NHS Trust in Oldham, described Preston as ‘a gorgeous, happy, alert and interactive child’. The doctor said: ‘In summary I have no major health concerns for him and it was a pleasure to review him today. I wish him all the best in the future.’ McGowan-Fazakerley described him as ‘perfect’.
Preston was cared for by Sandra and Paul Cooper for ten months. This couple had taken vulnerable children for 27 years. We can take comfort in the fact that this couple loved and cared for Preston. Mrs Cooper described Preston as ‘a really lovely baby’ who was having ‘a really nice life’. We know Preston was well cared for because the early photographs and videos show him bright and smiling.
After the adoption, the defendants made a complaint about Sandra Cooper and tried to impugn her character at the trial. Both are disgusting liars.
Preston was handed over by Oldham Council through the adoption agency Adoption Now to two evil men. These men were given the most precious thing anyone can ever be given, a baby.
It was the Crown’s case that the abuse started within two weeks of Preston’s placement, before he was even a year old. A hundred and fifteen days later he was dead. Preston was, and the evidence shows, raped to death by Varley after a sadistic campaign of emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
There will now be a Child Safeguarding Review by Oldham Council. There should be some tough questions for social worker Amy Shepherdson who visited the family and noted that Preston was pale and did not seem himself, but sought no further intervention. Two days later Preston was back at hospital, this time with a broken arm. This was found to be non-accidental and grievous bodily harm against Preston.
Varley told medics he may have accidentally twisted Preston’s arm when putting him back into his cot, but he provided a different explanation when describing what had happened to friends.
In a WhatsApp message to the couple, Ms Shepherdson said she had been told about the incident by a paediatrician, but added: ‘Just to reassure you, she said they have absolutely no concerns.’ She later wrote in her notes: ‘Jamie was beside himself and he was feeling bad about Preston’s arm. He was very teary and gaunt-looking.’
Poor Jamie Varley.
There will be some tough questions too for Helen Magee, an independent reviewing social worker who visited the family on July 7 and watched how Preston responded to his adoptive fathers. She knew of the three hospital admissions and ‘pondered if there was a problem she couldn’t see’ but decided all three seemed happy and at ease. We need to ask, why didn’t she see it? What bruises were there at this stage that she could see but chose not to?
The Safeguarding Review must ask: did ideology and the fear of being called homophobic prevent social workers, medics and the police from raising the alarm? Indeed, it is a bitter irony that the convictions of ‘two gay dads’ for the death of Preston come in Pride Month, when we are made to bow before the Big Gay Overlords.
Was baby Preston Davey sacrificed on the altar of political correctness, DEI and queer theory? No society has any business handing over an infant to two unrelated men, whether they are gay or straight. This would have been considered utter madness only a few decades ago. Name me another civilisation outside the demented West that does this?
The murder of Peter Connolly, the 17-month-old baby killed in London in 2007 by his mother, his mother’s partner and his brother after suffering more than 50 injuries over an eight-month period, during which he was repeatedly seen by the London Borough of Haringey children’s services and NHS professionals, was bad enough. But at least he wasn’t actually procured by the state and then emotionally, physically, sexually abused and finally murdered by the ‘two gay dads’, the state’s chosen parents, like Preston was.
How much wilful blindness did the social workers and medics engage in? How much DEI training were they subjected to, with their rainbow lanyards and demented calls to be ‘allies’ to well-organised Big Gay which has infiltrated all the state institutions? Preston’s foster mother had concerns and was ignored. One nurse at the hospital had concerns and was ignored. His grandmother had concerns and was ignored. We need to know why.
This would not be the first time woke ideology has resulted in dead children.
Here – off the top of my head – is the list so far.
A security guard at the Manchester Arena bombing ignored his gut feelings about the bomber Salman Abedi with a backpack and didn’t raise the alarm for fear of being called racist. Abedi exploded a bomb murdering 23 people including children.
The neighbours who lived next to Sara Sharif, who was tortured to death by her Pakistani father (who the family courts deemed acceptable to retain custody despite previous domestic abuse offences), didn’t raise the alarm for fear of being called racist.
Valdo Calcocane was not sectioned at one point because professionals took into account that ethnic minorities were over-represented in detention. Calocane, who was subsequently sectioned multiple times because of his violent behaviour, went on to kill students Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both aged 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, and attempted to kill three other people during an attack in June 2023.
Axel Rudakubana, who butchered three little girls and attempted to murder others, wasn’t even arrested when he was found with a knife on a bus. Deputy headteacher Joanne Hodson told the public inquiry into Rudakubana’s Southport killing spree that, from his first day, she realised the teenager was ‘very high risk’.
In an email to all her staff, she said Rudakubana needed to be regularly searched for knives because he hadn’t displayed any emotion or ‘remorse’ and was ‘very high risk’. Later, Mrs Hodson said, she agreed to remove the word ‘sinister’ and comments referring to Rudakubana as ‘cold and calculating’ from an education plan after mental health workers accused her of racially profiling ‘a black boy with a knife’. She said the criticism ‘shut her up’ and ‘closed her down professionally’.
And of course there was Henry Nowak who was stabbed, arrested, handcuffed and cautioned while he was gasping for his last breath because he was white.
We can make an educated guess and say that either consciously or unconsciously the social workers, medics and police didn’t raise their concerns over baby Preston because they didn’t want to offend the gays. They didn’t want to be called homophobic – who needs that kind of hassle in their lives? Not when they have been told night and day that not only are gays just super-duper, but in fact the rest of us must be their allies.
If you want to know how dangerous and sick DEI is – which is not about equality but favouring certain groups and excusing their wrongdoing – just look at the body count.
It is time to speak up. Enough is enough.
