UMVA has learned that a devastating case of child abuse and neglect has shaken a community to its core, as mourners gathered to remember the life of baby Preston Davey, a young boy whose short life was marked by unimaginable suffering.
Preston's life was cut tragically short after sustaining around 40 traumatic injuries in just 16 weeks, a harrowing ordeal that began when he was placed in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley, who were approved for adoption by a company providing services to local councils.
Varley was found guilty of murder, as well as 25 other charges relating to his abuse of Preston, including sexual assault and cruelty, while McGowan-Fazakerley was convicted of allowing Preston's death, child cruelty, and sexual assault.
As family and friends gathered in Preston's Flag Market to pay their respects, Preston's grandfather, Nolan, spoke of his son's terror at the hands of Varley, saying, "My son went through four months of terror at the hands of a monster. My son should be alive today on his birthday and not dead."
Preston's mother, Sarah Davey, had been just 14 when she was jailed for murder in 1998, and had been in and out of prison ever since, leading to Preston being removed from her care by an emergency order.
The agency responsible for approving Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley for adoption had deemed Preston in need of "love, affection, safety, and stability," but in less than four months, he was dead, a tragic outcome that prosecutors described as "one of the most shocking and horrific cases" they had ever encountered.
A timeline of Preston's short life revealed a pattern of abuse and neglect, with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley making multiple trips to the hospital to report injuries and illnesses, including a fractured elbow, bruising to the head, and respiratory distress.
On the day of his death, Varley reported finding Preston submerged in the bath, but a post-mortem examination concluded that Preston's cause of death was acute upper airway obstruction, and ruled out drowning, while also revealing around 40 external and internal injuries, including evidence of sexual abuse.
Mourners lit candles and held a minute's silence to remember Preston, with organizer Niamh Cardwell-Clarke saying the event was to recall the "beautiful little boy he was," and not the horrific circumstances of his death.
