UMVA has learned that a tragic case of child abuse and murder has shaken a community to its core, as a young baby's life was brutally cut short under the care of those who were supposed to protect him.
Preston Davey, just four months old, suffered unimaginable pain and trauma at the hands of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley, who were supposed to provide love, care, and protection to the infant.
The details of the case are heart-wrenching, with Preston sustaining around 40 traumatic injuries in the 16 weeks he was in Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley's care, including at least 30 external bruises and a healing fracture to his left upper arm.
The infant had also suffered deep bruising to the back of his throat, as well as injuries to his bottom, bowel, and bladder, which were caused by sexual assaults, leaving no doubt about the sinister nature of the abuse he endured.
Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were approved for adoption by a company providing services to local councils, which claimed that Preston needed "love, affection, safety, and stability" – a promise that was horribly broken.
The trial heard that Preston had been taken to the hospital multiple times in the months before his death, with suspicious bruises noticed by medical staff, but these were explained away, and police were stood down, allowing the abuse to continue.
On the day of his death, Varley recorded a Snapchat video showing Preston lying on the bed, struggling for breath, and just 90 minutes later, the infant was pronounced dead, with the cause of death ruled as acute upper airway obstruction caused by something being forced into his mouth.
The jury that found the couple guilty of all charges was shown grim indecent photos and videos of the abuse of Preston, which were described as "hard to watch" and "unseen" by child sexual abuse expert Dr. Joanne Gifford.
Varley was found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, and 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child.
McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty, and one count of the sexual assault of a child, as the judge handed down a life sentence to Varley and a 25-year prison term to McGowan-Fazakerley.
The mother of Preston, Sarah Davey, described the day her son was taken from her as one of the worst of her life, saying she had trusted the system and the foster parents, but that trust was "completely and unforgivably broken."
In a victim impact statement, Ms. Davey added that she will never forgive Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley for what they did to her son and what they stopped him from becoming and achieving in his life.
The foster parents who initially cared for Preston, Sandra and Paul Cooper, said his death had a "huge impact" on their lives, and they have continued to foster children to protect them, doing it in Preston's memory.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows described Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley as "pure evil," saying they had abused Preston from almost day one, making his short life a harrowing tale of misery and pain that ultimately led to his death.
