A former high school teacher who subjected his adopted infant son to months of horrific physical, Sєxual and emotional abuse before killing him has returned to court for a short technical hearing. Jamie Varley, 37, appeared via video link from prison as a judge formally added a concurrent sentence for one overlooked Sєxual ᴀssault charge. The correction changes nothing about his fate: he will never be released.

Preston Davey was just 13 months old when he died on 27 July 2023. The little boy had been placed for adoption only four months earlier with Varley, then a head of year at a Blackpool secondary school, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32. What should have been a new family home became a place of sustained cruelty. A post-mortem examination later revealed roughly 40 external and internal injuries consistent with repeated trauma and Sєxual abuse. Varley initially claimed the child had accidentally drowned in the bath, but medical evidence ruled that out. Prosecutors said the fatal attack occurred during a Sєxual ᴀssault that caused acute upper airway obstruction.

After an eight-week trial at Preston Crown Court, a jury found Varley guilty of murder along with a long list of related offences, including ᴀssault by penetration, child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, Sєxual ᴀssault of a child under 13, and multiple counts involving indecent images. McGowan-Fazakerley was convicted of allowing the child’s death, two counts of child cruelty and one count of Sєxual ᴀssault. On 18 June 2026, Mr Justice Turner imposed a whole-life order on Varley, telling him the case was of the most extreme gravity and that he would never be eligible for parole except in exceptional compᴀssionate circumstances. McGowan-Fazakerley received 25 years in prison.

The July 2026 hearing lasted only about two minutes. It was held under the “slip rule,” a legal mechanism that lets judges correct accidental errors in sentencing. One count of Sєxual ᴀssault had been missed when the original sentences were handed down. The judge imposed a concurrent seven-year term for that offence. Both men appeared by video link; Varley spoke only to confirm his idenтιтy. Because of the whole-life order, the additional concurrent sentence has no practical effect on the length of time he will serve.

Police described the crimes as shocking the nation and called Varley “evil” and a “sadist.” The case has prompted wider concern about safeguarding in the adoption process. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson pledged action under new children’s legislation, and campaigners including public figures have called for a full inquiry into possible missed opportunities to protect the child. A coroner has indicated an inquest is highly likely, though it is not expected before late 2027 after related safeguarding reviews conclude.

Preston’s biological mother and grandmother attended the original sentencing and expressed profound grief. The brief return to court simply closed a technical gap in the formal record of a crime that has already drawn national attention to the failures that left a vulnerable baby at the mercy of his abusers.

Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy73r2m6170o