Lead detective in Preston Davey murder inquiry says investigation was the 'most harrowing case of my career'

The lead detective who has dedicated the last three years of his working life to seeking justice for a baby boy cruelly betrayed by those who should have protected him said it has been the ‘most harrowing case of his career’.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows has co-cordinated the efforts of hundreds of specially trained Lancashire Police officers as he sought to uncover the truth about what happened in the final four months of 13-month-old Preston Davey’s life.

DCI Fallows said: “I think every case is harrowing in its own right, but it will be difficult to disagree that this has been the most harrowing case of my career.

“Any investigation involving the death of a child is harrowing enough, but when you see the circumstances behind this case and what's happened to that little boy over that four month period he was in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley, it is really difficult not to be affected by that.”

Little Preston was born on June 16, 2022. He was taken into care by Oldham Council and placed with foster carers until he was 10-months-old.

After months of vetting by Adoption Now, an agency working alongside Oldham Council to find placements for children in the council’s care, he was placed for adoption with ex-South Shore Academy teacher Varley, 37, and his salesman partner McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, at their home in Staining Road, Staining.

But less than four months later and before the adoption could be formalised by the courts, he was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital in cardiac arrest and despite the best efforts of medics sadly passed away on July 27, 2023.

A post mortem examination confirmed he had suffered 40 trauma injuries, internally and externally, including tears and lacerations, with “in excess” of 30 ‘non-accidential’ bruises across his body.

Varley tried to explain away Preston’s death by claiming he had momentarily left him unattended in a bath. But officers could find no evidence of drowning.

Today the pair were both found guilty at Preston Crown Court of all charges.

The former South Shore Academy teacher Varley, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining has been found guilty of murder, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.

McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, also of of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining has been found guilty of allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The pair will now be sentenced on Thursday.

DCI Fallows revealed the initial police investigation was sparked when the force were notified of Preston’s unexpected death by the hospital.

He said: “Varley was arrested that night initially on suspicion of child neglect. After a home office post mortem examination took place it was quite clear that things weren't quite as they had been presented.

“The pathologist found no evidence of drowning. Subsequently, a number of expert tests were then undertaken and those results provided us with a picture of a very different version of events than those presented by Jamie Varley.”

Today’s guilty verdicts were the culmination of a three year complex and challenging investigation.

Explaining why the investigation took so long to get to court, DCI Fallows said: “With any child death there are always challenges and complexities around pathology and a number of experts are routinely involved in an investigation.

“I suppose the best way of putting it would be excluding what hasn't killed a child, is as important as what has. Each expert needs to be aware of what has happened so that naturally builds in delays.

“Then there is the need to react to accounts and (different) versions of events, which you will have seen has changed somewhat at various times.

“Then at the point that the two are charged and and remanded to prison, custody time limits kick in and then the defence requires time to prepare.”

The case has been run by one of the Force Major Investigation syndicates based at Blackpool.

DCI Fallows said: “I think it will be fair to say hundreds of different officers and different support staff have been involved in this investigation.

“It's been a huge effort from all concerned, from CID offices at Blackpool, who initially commenced the case, the initial investigators from the major investigation team, to support staff, forensic staff and analysts who've provided a huge sequence of events document just to provide the evidence in a tellable story for the jury.”

DCI Fallows said the case has also seen huge involvement from the Crown Prosecution Service and the lawyers Peter Wright and Simon Driver who presented the case to the jury at Preston Crown Court.

He said the officers working on the case have been supported by the force’s in-house welfare team as well as looking after each other.

He said: “As police officers we are used to having to deal with harrowing things as part of our day-to-day working life. But by the same token, we are parents, we're brothers, sisters, we have children of our own and it's hard not to be impacted by that.

“We've got good welfare support. There's also an element of the team looking after itself. I'm proud to work with people that care about each other. We all understand we've got a job to do, we compartmentalise things and we're all there for each other.”

Asked about the comparisons with the tragic case of Baby P, DCI Fallows said: “I think every investigation is different but there are some parallels in there.

“It's the death of a child. But, my focus is on this investigation and what's happened to Preston Davey and who's responsible for that.

He added: “I can understand that now the court case has concluded that people want to understand missed opportunities and any learning that comes out of that. But really, I think that's for other people and another day.”

The impact of the murder of Preston Davey must not be underestimated.

It has been a case that has touched the lives of the families involved, the investigators and the local community.

DCI Fallows said: “I think Preston’s case will no doubt stay with the team forever.

“Every case has something that you remember and every homicide comes with a victim, a loss of life, so they all stick with you.

“I know that I've had officers contact me that have retired 12, 18 months ago and they say they still think of Preston and this investigation.

“I know it's affected a lot of people in a number of ways. How could it not? To see a child treated like that is very emotive.

“This investigation, while it is hugely sad, has been about trying to get justice for a little boy who has been grossly mistreated by the two people who should have loved and cared for him. It is the greatest misplacement of trust, they have betrayed him.

“The investigation team have been very invested, they've worked incredibly hard, as have many of our partners.

“A lot of people have worked very hard to get justice for a little boy. And we're really pleased that has happened.”