Jamie Valey has been charged with the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey and accused of multiple sexual assault and child-abuse offences.
Arguably one of the most stomach-wrenching cases of this year has come to light in recent days, as Blackpool teacher Jamie Valey has been charged with the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey.
Preston tragically passed away on 27th July 2023 in Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he arrived unresponsive. Lancashire Police were alerted about the incident; however the baby boy was pronounced dead shortly after.
In 2023 Varley was arrested at South Shore Academy – the school in which he worked at – and he appeared at Preston Crown Court on Monday where he was accused of murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration of a child, five counts of child cruelty, one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and one count of sexual assault of a child.
He was further accused of 10 counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing indecent photographs of a child, two counts of possessing indecent pseudo images of a child, and one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image.
If things couldn’t get any worse it has also been revealed that Varley, who was in the process of adopting Preston, didn’t act alone. 31-year-old John McGowan-Fazakerley has been charged with allowing the death of a child, as well as two counts of child cruelty and one count of sexual assault of a child.
The court heard that all the charges against both men, which are believed to have been committed between March and July 2023, all relate to Preston.
Unsurprisingly these claims have evoked angry and devasted reactions from both the people involved and those that have become familiar with the case. Particularly the detail that Varley was in the process of adopting Preston.
Sally Beaumount, Interim Head of Regional Adoption Agency at Coram Ambitious for Adoption, has said the incident can be described as nothing short of ‘tragic and harrowing’.
Speaking to Social Care Today, she said: ‘Preston Davey’s short life would have been marked by unimaginable suffering and our thoughts are with his family.’
‘Coram stands alongside our committed colleagues who work tirelessly to protect children and to find safe and loving homes for them,’ Sally continued. ‘This tragic and harrowing case should not undermine the work undertaken by social workers and other professionals on behalf of children and the many wonderful adopters who come forward to offer children all the love and stability they deserve.’
During the hearing, which was led by Judge Robert Altham, both defendants only spoke to acknowledge their names. The court has remanded them into custody, and they are due to appear for a plea hearing on 13th October 2025.
Judge Altham has likewise set a date for the trial of the two men, which is due to commence on 14th April 2026 and it is estimated to last up to eight weeks.
Photo by Hédi Benyounes via UnSplash
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