Baby killer Jamie Varley found out his partner had cheated on him and took it out on 13-month-old Preston Davey, friend believes

Published: 11:46, 9 July 2026 | Updated: 11:49, 9 July 2026 Baby killer Jamie Varley found out his partner had cheated on him and took it out on 13-month-old Preston Davey, a friend believes.  Teacher Varley, 37, a former head of year, will die in jail for killing Preston during sexual abuse in July 2023. His partner, 32-year-old sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley, who was complicit in Preston's death, was sentenced to 25 years. Prosecutors said it was one of the 'most shocking and horrific' cases they had ever dealt with when the pair were convicted by a jury last month following an eight-week trial. Now a work colleague, who once considered himself a friend of Varley's, has offered a potential reason for the teacher's heinous crimes. She told The Sun: 'He'd found out that John had cheated on him and I think he took it out on the baby. 'I think it was an ongoing affair and Jamie found some messages on his phone. 'I assume it happened in Manchester because that was where John worked. Jamie found out about it and it caused a lot of problems.' Baby killer Jamie Varley, pictured, found out his partner had cheated on him and took it out on 13-month-old Preston Davey, a friend believes Baby Preston, pictured, who died aged 13 months, was smothered and sexually assaulted The woman first met the murderer around 15 years ago and the pair shared an office at the school. They got on well although she said that Varley often courted controversy, creating workplace drama. He also told his colleague that he would head to ex-boyfriends' houses and spy on them. The woman said that rifts would often flare up between Varley and his friends and she soon became fed up with his behaviour.  Baby Preston had been taken from his mother, convicted murderer Sarah Davey, by an emergency care order by Oldham Council and placed into foster care at five days old. He was then adopted by Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley at the age of nine months and subjected to horrific sexual and physical abuse inside their Blackpool home. The colleague suggested that Varley was the driving force in the decision to adopt Preston and that he had even chosen the baby specifically as he was the 'bonniest boy'. There was no emotion from either defendant as the sentences were read out at Preston Crown Court in June.  But mother Davey sobbed in court as she told her son's adoptive killer fathers: 'I will never forgive you.' She said in a statement her 'world ended' when she found out her son had died, adding that she now lives with the 'unimaginable pain of wondering what he went through'. Passing sentence Mr Justice Mark Turner said Preston had faced 'unremitting abuse' and neglect before being killed by Varley during a sex attack. Turning to Varley, he said: 'It was you who did this. You murdered him. A whole life order is a sentence of last resort for cases of the most extreme gravity. 'This is a case of the most extreme gravity. You must stay in prison for the rest of your life. You will never be eligible for parole.' Varley, who vomited in the dock when he was convicted of murder, looked gaunt and sat with his hands folded on his lap, looking straight ahead. Preston was born to Davey in June 2022 while she was in and out of prison after being convicted of the callous killing of a pensioner when she was 14 years old. She and 15-year-old Lisa Healey tortured 71-year-old Lily Lilley by squirting shampoo in her eyes, cutting her with a knife and tying a gag around her mouth. An emotional Davey told the court: 'The second he was placed in my arms, I fell completely in love with him. 'He was my baby, my only son, and from that day on I never wanted to let him go,' she said. Varley's partner, 32-year-old sales manager John McGowan-Fazakerley, pictured, who was complicit in Preston's death, was sentenced to 25 years Preston was born to Davey, pictured at court last month, in June 2022 while she was serving a life sentence and in and out of prison after being convicted of murder  The baby's short, tragic life was bookmarked by murder, by his mother and then his adoptive parents 'For the first seven months of his life, I was lucky enough to spend precious time with him. He had the most beautiful smile, one that could light up any room, and the bond we shared was something everyone could see. 'Those memories should have brought me comfort - but instead, they are now mixed with pain, because I know what you put him through in his final months.' She also called the day he was taken from her 'one of the worst days of my life' and sobbed as her statement was read out. 'I had no choice in that decision. I tried to take some comfort in believing he would be safe, loved, and protected, and he was with his foster parents, Sandra and Paul, I trusted them, they and the system trusted you, that trust was completely and unforgivably broken,' she said. 'Preston was innocent. He was defenceless. He relied entirely on you - the adults responsible for him - to love him, care for him, and keep him safe. 'Instead, you caused him suffering. You took away his chance to grow up, to go to school, to make friends, to live a full life. You took everything from him.' Preston died on July 27, 2023 after Varley, who was a head of year and safeguarding lead at a comprehensive school, twice sexually assaulted him while McGowan-Fazakerley, an accounts manager for a finance firm, was at work. The men rushed Preston to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where doctors tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him for 50 minutes, before he was pronounced dead at 7.18pm. A review is now underway to work out how the men were able to carry out their warped fantasies and harm the infant, whose adoption had not been legally finalised, under the noses of social workers. It is expected to examine whether political correctness or a fear of challenging the gay couple could have played a part in the state's failure to protect vulnerable Preston. Meanwhile, Varley has launched a desperate bid to save his skin and distance himself from his horrific crimes – by changing his name, the Daily Mail can reveal. The former schoolteacher assumed his new secret identity – now going by the name Harry Robb – days after beginning a life sentence. It follows reports that fellow inmates at HMP Wakefield – the notorious jail known as Monster Mansion – have put a bounty on the head of the twisted killer who has been described as 'a dead man walking'. It is thought Varley, 37, has officially applied to change his name, as well as adding the middle name Jae, by deed poll, a relatively simple process which costs £53.05. One prison source told the Daily Mail: 'He has changed his name to Harry Jae Robb in the hope of giving himself anonymity. 'He's absolutely petrified. There have already been threats against him and he thinks that by changing his name, people are less likely to recognise him and know who he is. 'He knows he has a huge target on his back and he thinks his new name will make him safer and will help him escape vigilante attacks.'