The case of Preston Davey, a 13-month-old baby murdered by his adoptive father, has shocked the UK and raised urgent questions about safeguarding failures. This timeline breaks down the key events everyone should know .
Preston was born four weeks early on June 16, 2022, at Wythenshawe Hospital, weighing 5lb 7oz . Just five days later, on June 21, he was placed into emergency foster care by Oldham Council via an interim care order, where he remained for the first nine months of his life .
In January 2023, Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption by Adoption Now . Their first visit to see Preston at his foster parents’ home occurred on February 13, and Preston spent his first night at their Blackpool home on April 1, 2023 . On April 6, Varley texted his sister, a baby sleep trainer: “He’s dead meat today” .
Over the following months, Preston was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital three times . On May 25, he was rushed in floppy and unresponsive; bruising to his head was noted but not deemed suspicious . On June 30, medics again noted bruising, but were shown a video of Preston pulling a toy box on himself—later found to have been filmed 12 days earlier. Varley remarked: “You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something” . On July 6, Preston was brought in with a fractured elbow; social workers later reassured Varley there were “absolutely no concerns” . However, around this time, Varley told a colleague he was having “dark thoughts” about drowning or suffocating Preston .
On July 23, Varley took a series of photos of Preston unconscious with his neck resting on a cot bar, his tongue protruding and lips blue . On July 27, Varley recorded a 35-second video of Preston in “extreme respiratory distress” at 4:45 pm; at 6:30 pm, he was rushed to hospital in critical condition, with Varley claiming he found him submerged in the bath . Despite 50 minutes of resuscitation, Preston was pronounced dead at 7:18 pm .
A post-mortem on July 31 found 40 injuries and ruled out drowning, concluding the cause of death as acute upper airway obstruction . On April 20, 2026, the trial began at Preston Crown Court . On June 15, Varley was found guilty of murder and 24 other offences; McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death, child cruelty, and sexual assault . On June 18, Varley received a whole-life order and McGowan-Fazakerley was sentenced to 25 years . A coroner has since stated an inquest is “highly likely” to scrutinize the actions of public bodies who missed opportunities to save Preston .
