Preston Davey's birth mother Sarah Davey broke down in court as she faced her son's adoptive parents, sobbing, "I'll never forgive you." She told the court that the 13-month-old toddler had been "failed by the very people who were supposed to protect him."
Sarah Davey's emotional victim personal statement was read aloud during the sentencing hearing of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley at Preston Crown Court. Former teacher Varley, 37, received a whole-life order for the murder and sexual abuse of adopted Preston. Mr Justice Turner told him he would "stay in prison for the whole of your life" and "never be released." His partner, McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was jailed for 25 years for allowing Preston's death, child cruelty, and sexual assault.
Varley was convicted of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, and a string of indecent image offences. McGowan-Fazakerley was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty, and sexual assault of a child.
Victim Impact Statement
In her statement, Sarah described Preston as "perfect from the moment he was born" and said she "fell completely in love with him" the first time she held him. She told the court: "The day he was taken from me was one of the worst days of my life. I tried to take some comfort in believing he would be safe, loved and protected... that trust was completely and unforgivably broken."
Recalling the moment she learned of her son's death, Sarah said: "My world ended. A part of me died with him." She added: "I will never forgive you for what you did to my son and what you stopped him from becoming and achieving in his life."
Sarah told the court she lives with "the unimaginable pain of wondering what he went through," saying the thoughts haunt her every day and have left everyday family moments filled with grief. She said: "Preston should be here today. He would be four years old. He should be getting ready to start school, learning, laughing and living his life. Instead, he is forever 13 months old."
In the closing words of her statement, Sarah paid tribute to her "beautiful blue-eyed boy" and said: "You were, and always will be, loved beyond words." She concluded: "You were failed by the very people who were supposed to protect you. No sentence will ever bring him back or take away the pain, but it must reflect the life that was taken, the suffering he endured and the lifelong impact this has had on our family. I will carry you with me for the rest of my life, my baby boy."
Sentencing
Mr Justice Turner said Jamie Varley's offending was "exceptionally high even in the general context of murder" and described the case as one of "the utmost gravity" before imposing a whole-life order, meaning he will never be eligible for parole. The judge told Varley: "You will stay in prison for the whole of your life. You will never be released."
In sentencing McGowan-Fazakerley, Mr Justice Turner said his culpability involved "serious neglect" and that he had "failed to take any steps to protect" Preston. McGowan-Fazakerley was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison. The 18-year sentence for allowing the death of a child was treated as the lead offence, with concurrent sentences imposed for child cruelty and a consecutive seven-year term for the sexual assault of a child. The judge said McGowan-Fazakerley would serve two-thirds of his sentence in custody before being released on licence.
