Father says "I'm going to Hell" before murder conviction of 13-month-old son

Jamie Varley was found guilty of murdering and sexually abusing adopted baby Preston Davey. His partner McGowan-Fazakerley was convicted of allowing the child's death.

"I'm definitely going to Hell": father convicted of murdering adopted baby

Jamie Varley, 37, told his partner "I'm definitely going to Hell" in a hospital bereavement room after the death of his 13-month-old adopted son Preston Davey — footage played at Preston Crown Court showed. He has since been found guilty of murder and a series of sexual offences against the child.

According to the Daily Express, Varley and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a former public schoolboy and financial sales manager, adopted Preston at nine months old in 2023. The baby was dead just four months later.

Body-worn camera footage captured at the hospital after Preston's death was shown to the jury during the trial. Staff had invited both parents and the child's grandmother into the bereavement room. Varley initially refused to enter but was persuaded by hospital workers.

In the clip, Varley was seen holding the baby and saying: "I can't do with people moaning out there because I'm broken in half. I don't think I can do this, John." McGowan-Fazakerley replied: "We are going to be okay. This is going to be the hardest thing that we're ever going to do in our lives, but we've got each other."

Varley then said: "I'm so angry at him. He hasn't got anybody up there. I probably won't see you again — I'm definitely going to Hell."

The jury found Varley guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one count of distributing an indecent image to his co-accused, and one count of making an indecent photo.

McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty, and one count of sexual assault of a child.

A Home Office post-mortem ruled out drowning as the cause of Preston's death. Pathologists identified around 40 non-accidental injuries, both internal and external. These included multiple clusters of fingertip bruises on his head, face and limbs, slap marks on his leg, and a human bite mark on his right buttock.

Preston also had injuries to his mouth, throat and bottom. Parts of his anatomy were described in court as "abnormal", with injuries consistent with "forcible penetration" and sexual abuse.

The cause of death was determined to be acute upper airways obstruction caused by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.

Preston had been described by those who knew him as a "sweet and bubbly" baby.

Source: Daily Express