The case of baby Preston Davey is one of the most harrowing child abuse cases in recent British history. A 13-month-old boy, adopted into what appeared to be a loving home, was instead subjected to months of relentless sexual, physical, and emotional abuse before being murdered by his adoptive father. This timeline traces the short life of Preston Davey, the systematic failures that allowed his suffering to continue, and the eventual pursuit of justice.
The Beginning: A Life Marked by Loss from the Start
Preston Davey was born four weeks early on June 16, 2022, weighing 5lb 7oz at Wythenshawe Hospital in south Manchester. His birth mother, Sarah Davey, had been in and out of prison since she was 14 years old, when she was convicted of the murder of a 71-year-old widow in 1998. She was on licence at the time of Preston’s birth.
Just five days later, on June 21, 2022, Oldham Council obtained an emergency care order and placed newborn Preston into foster care, where he remained for the first nine months of his life. His foster parents, Sandra and Paul Cooper, later described him as a “joyful, so content and happy, with sparkly smiling eyes” baby.
The Adoption: A Promise of a New Life
On January 6, 2023, Jamie Varley, a 37-year-old textiles teacher, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, a 32-year-old financial sales manager, were approved for adoption by Adoption Now, a regional adoption agency. The agency’s records noted that Preston needed “love, affection, safety and stability”. Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley lived in a clean, spacious home in Blackpool, complete with glamorous chandeliers and a pet dog—a carefully curated image of middle-class respectability.
Their first visit to meet Preston took place on February 13, 2023, at his foster parents’ home. By April 1, 2023, at nine months old, Preston spent his first night at the couple’s home and was formally placed under their care.
The abuse began almost immediately.
The Abuse: A Pattern of Brutality Emerges
Within days of Preston coming into their care, troubling signs emerged. On April 6, 2023, Varley texted his sister, a baby sleep trainer, complaining about Preston’s sleeplessness. The message read: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every one and a half hours”.
Over the following months, Preston was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on three separate occasions. Each time, concerns were raised, but each time, the couple successfully deflected suspicion.
- May 25, 2023: Preston was taken to hospital, floppy and unresponsive, with Varley reporting a seizure and breathing difficulties. Nursing staff noticed bruising to his head. A medical report noted “unexplained injuries, inconsistent with a version of events given.” Hospital safeguarding was informed, and both social services and Lancashire Police were called. However, following discussions with clinicians, the bruises to a baby learning to walk were ultimately not regarded as suspicious.
- June 30, 2023: Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley took Preston to A&E with a rash, diarrhoea, vomiting, and a high temperature. Medics again noted bruising to his head, but the couple showed them a home video of the child pulling a toy box onto himself while playing. The footage had been filmed 12 days earlier. During this visit, Varley made the chilling comment: “You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something”.
- July 6, 2023: Varley took Preston to hospital for the third time with an injury to his left arm, claiming it happened while putting him in his cot. An X-ray revealed a fractured elbow, and a cast was applied. Preston’s social worker, Amy Shepherdson, texted Varley to reassure him that doctors had “absolutely no concerns” and that he had done “the right thing.” She visited the home and noted Preston had a “very sad face and a little cry”.
The following day, July 7, 2023, an independent reviewer from Oldham social services, Helen Magee, visited Preston at home. During the same week, Varley told a work colleague he was struggling mentally and having “dark thoughts” about drowning or suffocating Preston.
Preston’s foster mother, Sandra Cooper, later expressed concern that the couple were hiding Preston from her after they cancelled plans to meet.
The Final Days: A Child in Agony
On July 23, 2023, just four days before his death, Varley took a series of photographs of Preston over a period of three minutes and twelve seconds. The images showed the child—asleep or unconscious—with his head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot, his neck resting on it, his body partially suspended. His tongue was protruding and his lips appeared blue.
July 27, 2023, 4:45 PM: Varley recorded a 35-second video on his phone of Preston in “extreme respiratory distress,” taking what was described as an “agonal gasp”—a sound indicating the body’s final struggle for breath, and in urgent need of resuscitation.
July 27, 2023, 6:30 PM: Almost two hours after recording the video, Varley finally rushed Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in a critical condition. He falsely claimed he had found the child submerged in the bath. However, Preston was dry and wearing a nappy—there was no evidence he had swallowed water.
July 27, 2023, 7:18 PM: Medics battled for 50 minutes to save him, but Preston was tragically pronounced dead. He was just 13 months old.
The Investigation: A Post-Mortem Reveals the Truth
Four days after his death, a Home Office post-mortem examination ruled out drowning. It concluded that Preston had died from acute upper airway obstruction—effectively, he had been smothered. A full post-mortem examination later discovered that Preston had suffered a total of 40 traumatic injuries, many consistent with sexual abuse.
Police analysis of Varley’s phone uncovered hundreds of disturbing images and videos, including naked images of Preston, child sexual abuse material, and the chilling 35-second video of the baby’s final moments.
The Trial: “Pure Evil” Brought to Justice
In an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court, the jury heard evidence of “unremitting abuse.” Child abuse expert Dr Joanne Gifford testified that Preston’s blank expression in later life was a sign of “frozen watchfulness,” a trauma response associated with abuse and chronic stress.
Varley was described by detectives as “evil” and a “sadist” who treated Preston as a “plaything”. During the trial, he threw up in the dock when the guilty verdicts were read. His partner, McGowan-Fazakerley, turned on Varley in a desperate bid to save himself, but evidence showed he had turned a blind eye to the abuse—he “must have seen” the injuries, including bite marks on Preston’s buttocks. Preston’s mother, Sarah Davey, was a frequent presence at the trial and sobbed uncontrollably as the guilty verdicts were delivered.
The Sentences
On June 18, 2026, the sentences were handed down:
- Jamie Varley was sentenced to a whole life order—meaning he will never be released from prison except in exceptional compassionate circumstances. In passing sentence, Mr Justice Turner told Varley: “You will never be eligible for parole. This is a case of the most extreme gravity”.
- John McGowan-Fazakerley was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault, child cruelty, and allowing Preston’s death.
The Aftermath: Calls for Accountability
Preston’s case has sparked outrage and calls for a public inquiry. Blackpool South MP Chris Webb stated: “Why were repeated signs missed? Why did the systems designed to protect him fail so catastrophically?”.
Preston was seen by “a battery of professionals” including medical staff, social workers, and welfare officers. Despite being taken to hospital three times with significant injuries, the system failed to protect him. A Child Safeguarding Practice Review, paused during the criminal proceedings, has now been relaunched by Oldham Council, with findings expected by January 2027. A coroner has also indicated he is “highly likely” to hold an inquest into Preston’s death.
In victim impact statements read to the court, Preston’s birth mother, Sarah Davey, said: “Preston should be here today. He would be four years old. He should be getting ready to start school. Instead, he is forever thirteen months old. The reality of how he suffered is something I will carry for the rest of my life”. His father, Gary Nolan, who never got to meet his son, said: “Preston was the son that I never got to meet and now never will”.
Conclusion
The Preston Davey case is a devastating failure of the systems designed to protect the most vulnerable children. A baby who was described as “joyful” and “content” in foster care was handed over to abusers who subjected him to months of unimaginable suffering. The timeline reveals missed opportunities at every turn—three hospital visits, multiple social worker visits, and a series of red flags that were dismissed. As the reviews and inquests unfold, the question remains: how many more signs must be missed before the system learns the lessons of Preston’s tragic, short life?






