U.K. Man And His Partner Accused Of Raping Baby To Death

Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley were in the process of Adopting Baby Preston

UK Man and His Partner Charged in Death of 13-Month-Old Child

By Marsh (Edi) Baptise

Lancashire, UK – June 2025 - A tragic and deeply disturbing case has emerged from Lancashire this week as a secondary school teacher and his partner face a series of grave criminal charges following the death of a 13-month-old boy they were in the process of adopting.

Jamie Varley, 36, a secondary school teacher, and his co-defendant, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31, were formally charged in connection with the July 2023 death of Preston Davey, a toddler who had been placed in their care just three months prior. The child died after being admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

Varley is facing the most severe accusations, including murder, sexual assault of a child under 13, causing grievous bodily harm, and multiple counts of child cruelty. He has also been charged with possession, creation, and distribution of indecent images of a child.

His partner, McGowan-Fazakerley, has been charged with allowing the death of a child, sexual assault, and child cruelty. Both men appeared in Lancaster Magistrates’ Court this week and have been remanded into custody ahead of a trial at Preston Crown Court.

According to reports, baby Preston was born and initially placed under the supervision of Oldham Council, later transferred to foster care, and eventually placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley on April 3, 2023, as part of the adoption process. He died in July, a short time after being taken into hospital with critical injuries.

The case has shocked the public and prompted renewed scrutiny of the systems in place to safeguard children in care. Calls are mounting for stricter background checks and oversight in adoption and fostering placements. Advocacy groups have described the charges as “horrific” and are demanding transparency and accountability in how the case was handled.

Neither Varley nor McGowan-Fazakerley has entered a plea. The Crown Prosecution Service stated that due to the severity and sensitivity of the charges, details are being handled with the utmost care, and further information will be disclosed during trial proceedings.

Preston’s death marks one of the most harrowing child protection failures in recent memory in the UK, sparking both legal and public outcry. Authorities are continuing their investigation and reviewing previous oversight processes that may have failed to detect signs of risk to the child.

The trial is expected to draw national attention when it proceeds in the coming months.