Birth family of Preston Davey reveal their final act of love after he was murdered by 'evil' Blackpool teacher
“I’d always wanted to have him christened and this is something I prayed you would do for him, we had to do this when he was dead.”
The birth family of little baby boy murdered by a killer teacher have revealed their heartbreaking last act of love following his death.
Sarah Davey, the birth mum of the 13-month-old ‘bubbly and happy’ Preston Davey revealed her final wishes to have him christened had to be carried out after the tragic youngster died at the hands of ex-South Shore Academy teacher Jamie Varley and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley.
Little Preston was christened at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in a service organised by Preston's maternal nanna Debbie following his death at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on July 27, 2023.
Preston Davey deserved better. Demand a national inquiry
Sarah, 42, spoke directly to his killer and abuser at their sentencing hearing at Preston Crown Court. In a statement read to the court by prosecution barrister Peter Wright, she said: “I’d always wanted to have him christened and this is something I prayed you would do for him, we had to do this when he was dead, a day which should be a celebration, was another day of mourning, suffering and filled with sadness.
“I will never forgive you for what you did to my son and what you stopped him from becoming and achieving in his life.
“Every single day, I live with the unimaginable pain of wondering what he went through. Those thoughts do not leave me. They are with me when I wake up, and they haunt me when I try to sleep. The reality of how he suffered is something I will carry for the rest of my life.”
The 42-year-old said she had never wanted Preston to be taken into care or placed for adoption.
At the time of Preston’s birth, Sarah was in Styal Women's Prison awaiting a parole hearing.
The mum-of-two was just 14 years old when she and her friend — then known as Lisa Healey — were convicted of torturing 71-year-old widow Lily Lilley of West Street, Failsworth in 1998.
A court heard the pair, from Failsworth befriended the pensioner, but once in her home, they cut her legs with a knife and gagged her, which forced her dentures down her throat, suffocating her.
They then put her body into a wheelie bin and dumped it in Rochdale Canal, where it was found three days later.
The pair were both sentenced to a minimum of eight years in prison.
Sarah has been released on life licence numerous times since her first release in March 2013 but has been recalled for breaching the terms of her licence.
Due to the prison status and the chance of parole uncertain, Preston was taken into care at six days old by Oldham Council with the prospect of adoption.
Oldham Council works with regional adoption agency Adoption Now to find placements for children in their care. It was through Adoption Now Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley were matched with defenceless Preston.
Davey was released from Styal Women's Prison on parole after learning of her son’s death. For the first seven months of his life she had regular family time with the tragic tot.
Sarah hoped her mum, Preston’s maternal nanna, Debora, would be able to care for him in her absence, but she was unwell and deemed not fit enough to care for a young child.
Preston was taken in by a loving foster family in Manchester - where he remained until he was nine-months-old.
He was then placed with the evil couple a their home in Staining Road, Staining on April 3, 2023 and on July 27 the tot was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital 'in cardiac arrest' and sadly died a short time later.
Last week paedophile Varley, 37, was handed a whole life prison sentence for murder, sexual assault and child cruelty and told he will die behind bars.
His now ex-partner and co-accused McGowan-Fazakerley, was found guilty of causing his death and sexual abuse and sentenced to 25 years behind bars.
The pair had been in the process of adopting baby Preston when he died. He suffered more than 40 trauma injuries, internally and externally, including tears and lacerations, with “in excess” of 30 ‘non-accidential’ bruises across his body. He had only been in the care of the couple less than four months when he died.
The Blackpool Gazette and sister title the Lancashire Post, backed by Blackpool South MP Chris Webb and Preston's birth parents Sarah Davey and Gary Nolan, are calling on the government to launch a national inquiry into the safeguarding failures that cost Preston his life.
Sarah Davey, Preston’s birth mum, said: “A public inquiry would mean everything to us.
“The safeguarding put in place for Preston was clearly not enough. It was a tick box exercise.
“I stand with The Gazette in calling for a national inquiry to ensure lessons are learned after what happened to Preston.”
Gary Nolan, Preston’s birth dad said: “We need to ensure this doesn’t happen to any other child in the future. We also need to know it hasn’t happened again since Preston’s death.
“I fully back The Gazette’s campaign for a national inquiry.”
Preston Davey deserved better. Demand a national inquiry
What is the petition calling for?
The petition is calling on a nation inquiry to answer the following questions:
- Why were repeated warning signs - three hospital admissions, an abuser's own admission of dark thoughts, routine social worker contact - not acted on?
- Should children placed outside their home authority automatically be assigned a local social worker with direct oversight of their care?
- How are repeat hospital admissions for children in care shared between the NHS, the placing authority, and the authority where the child lives?
- Are adoption vetting procedures rigorous enough to stop prospective adopters hiding behind a false front?
We need you to sign this petition and demand the government acts.
Every child who comes after Preston deserves better too.