The devastating murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey has revealed a disturbing family history: his biological mother is one of Britain's most notorious teen killers.
Preston was sexually abused and murdered by his adoptive father, Jamie Varley, 37, who will be jailed for life. The baby's mother, Sarah, was just 14 when she and a friend tortured a frail grandmother to death over 20 years ago. The pair attacked Lily Lilley, 71, after befriending her at her home in Failsworth, Greater Manchester.
According to reports, after being invited in for tea, they mocked her, squirted her with shampoo, and cut her legs with a knife. They dumped her body in a wheelie bin, pushed it through the streets, and overturned it into a canal. They had choked her with a gag tied so tightly that her false teeth were driven down her throat. A framed photo of her son as a baby was thrown into the bin. The pair then took over her house, made hundreds of calls from her phone, and used her pension money to buy crisps and chocolate.
Sarah was locked up indefinitely in 1999 for what the judge described as an “unspeakably wicked” murder. Preston's grandmother, Debra Davey, 66, said her daughter, now 43, was aware the details of her crime would resurface once the verdicts were in. She said: “She’s worried about it all coming out again, but I’ve told her, it’s all about Preston, it isn’t about her.”
Speaking about her grandson’s tragic death, Debra said: “I’ve had some bad things happen in my life, but this is by far the worst. I was there when he was born in Wythenshawe. It was wonderful. He was with Sarah for five days. She still got to see him after that, she saw him every fortnight with the foster parents… until he went to them. She wanted him right from the start. The plan was I would help with her having him.”
Debra said they planned for her to care for Preston, but in a sad twist of fate she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “That’s the reason I couldn’t have him. I was diagnosed literally the next day after he was born. They said I couldn’t have him because of that. His foster parents were lovely people, but I didn’t see him after that. Sarah would see him with his foster parents; she liked them, got on with them, they loved Preston.”
When they found out the toddler was being adopted by two men, the family did not agree. “I told them I didn’t agree with it and Sarah knew right from the start. Not because it was two men, she just got a horrible feeling about it, a gut feeling. She told social services and the foster parents. But they just took him, she didn’t sign anything.”
Debra said when she was told about Preston’s death in July 2023 she was “hysterical”. Varley and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were arrested but released on bail as investigations continued. She said: “It went on for two years. I used to argue with them [the police] all the time. ‘Why aren’t they in custody?’ It all took such a long time.”
She attended the start of the trial but ill health kept her away as it progressed. Speaking about Varley, she said: “It’s killing me. It’s disgusting. He should never see the light of day again.” Debra said she could not bear to imagine the things little Preston endured in his short time with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. “Varley, he’s not right in the head, he just looks evil, the things he’s done. Things no-one would think of doing, he’s sick in the head. And McGowan-Fazakerley, of course he knew. You don’t live in the same house as someone and not know what’s going on, especially things like that. I think there’s a lot to come out about him.”
She said social services, the adoption agency, and hospital staff all have questions to answer about why Preston’s case was not flagged. “You hope things would change, but it doesn’t, does it. It’s unreal, I can’t take it in really. Alarm bells should have been ringing. When it all happened all we could hear was apologies. But it’s not their grandchild. We want to know what checks were made. They say everything they did was proper, that they didn’t do anything dishonest. But it’s all really wrong. I’ve got four granddaughters, he was my only grandson. It’s terrible, I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t believe Varley pleaded not guilty with all the evidence they had. They should throw away the key.”
Preston’s mother was released in March 2024 following a decision by the parole board. She had repeatedly breached her conditions for the original murder. She was first released in March 2013 but kept getting recalled and had been freed on licence seven times before. Parole Board documents said: “She has been released on licence on seven occasions since her first such release in March 2013. Each of those licences has been revoked and she has been recalled to prison.”
