Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley purchased a five-bedroom home for £450,000 in August 2023, presenting themselves as successful high-flyers to their new neighbors. Unbeknownst to the community, the couple was under investigation for the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, whom they had adopted and who died less than three weeks before they moved into their new home.
Varley, 37, and McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, were arrested in July 2023 in connection with Preston's death but were released on bail. Despite the ongoing investigation, they integrated into their new neighborhood, decorating their home for holidays and socializing with residents. Neighbors recalled them as warm and sociable, contributing to community events and sharing food.
A Calculated Deception
Neighbors described the couple as meticulously curating an "Instagram-perfect" lifestyle. They decorated their home elaborately for Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, even creating an Easter bunny photo opportunity for local children. One neighbor recounted being invited into their home on Halloween and offered sweets and drinks, finding it disturbing in retrospect given the couple's horrific crimes.
Varley was found guilty of murder, assault, sexual assault, grievous bodily harm, and cruelty. The court heard that Preston suffered 40 traumatic injuries during his four months in their care, and Varley's claim that the baby drowned in the bath was dismissed. McGowan-Fazakerley, though not present during the fatal abuse, was found to have also sexually abused Preston and was jailed for causing or allowing the death of a child, cruelty, and sexual assault.
Community Shock and Lingering Concerns
Residents expressed shock and disbelief upon learning the truth. "They fooled us all," one neighbor stated, highlighting how the couple hid behind a mask of respectability. The couple had moved into their new home just 22 days after Preston's death, continuing their lives as if nothing had happened. "It's beyond anyone's comprehension how they could just almost wipe the slate clean and go about their life normally…unless they'd thought they'd got away with it," a neighbor commented.
Before moving to their new home, neighbors at their previous property in Blackpool had noted concerning signs. A statement read in court mentioned hearing "raised voices" and an "unusual amount of crying" through the walls. Michael Nuttall, a former neighbor, described Varley as the "more confident" and "full of himself" of the two, and noted that Preston cried excessively and seemed distressed.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fellows, who led the murder investigation, described the couple's efforts to present themselves as a perfect family living perfect lives. "Everything's on social media, everything is brilliant and I think if you scrape away the veneer of that you come to something that is entirely different," he said.
The couple's former home was later sold at auction for £385,000, significantly less than they paid for it. Residents expressed concern that the association with the couple and the crime could negatively impact property values in the affluent village of Grimsargh.