Preston Davey was a 13-month-old boy who was killed in July 2023 after months of severe abuse while in the care of his adoptive father, Jamie Varley. Varley was later convicted and given a whole-life sentence, while his partner was also convicted and sentenced to 25 years.

What happened

  • Preston was found unconscious and brought to hospital on 27 July 2023, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
  • A post-mortem found around 40 internal and external injuries and ruled out drowning as the cause of death.
  • Reporting says he had suffered physical, sexual, and emotional abuse over the four months before his death.

Legal outcome

  • Jamie Varley was found guilty of Preston’s murder and sexual abuse and received a whole-life order.
  • John McGowan-Fazakerley, Varley’s partner, was convicted of allowing the death of a child and related abuse offences, and was sentenced to 25 years.

Recent context

  • In June 2026, BBC reporting said the case prompted fresh scrutiny of safeguarding failures and hospital responses before Preston’s death.
  • The story remains in the news because of reviews into missed warning signs and wider child-protection concerns.

If you meant a different Preston Davey, tell me the context and I’ll narrow it down.