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Convicted child murderer adopts new identity behind bars as inmates place bounty on his head, while fresh claims suggest relationship turmoil may have triggered the abuse.
Daily Dazzling Dawn can reveal that Jamie Varley, the 37-year-old former teacher handed a whole life order for the murder and sexual abuse of 13-month-old Preston Davey, is now desperately attempting to disguise his identity in one of Britain's most notorious prisons.
The convicted killer is understood to have formally applied to change his name to Harry Jae Robb via deed poll, a process costing £53.05 . This desperate measure comes just days after he arrived at HMP Wakefield, the Category A jail in West Yorkshire known as "Monster Mansion" due to its notorious inmate population .
A prison source told a journalist: "He has changed his name to Harry Jae Robb in the hope of giving himself anonymity. He's absolutely petrified" . The insider added: "There have already been threats against him and he thinks that by changing his name, people are less likely to recognise him and know who he is. He knows he has a huge target on his back and he thinks his new name will make him safer and will help him escape vigilante attacks" .
'Bounty on his head'
Sources within the prison system have indicated that fellow inmates have placed a "bounty" on Varley's head, with one source describing him as "a dead man walking" . He reportedly received a hostile reception upon arrival, with prisoners banging on cell doors and shouting threats . The former teacher, who had curated an "Instagram-ready" lifestyle , is now believed to be housed in the healthcare unit under constant supervision .
Mr Justice Turner, sentencing Varley at Preston Crown Court, described the case as one of "the most extreme gravity" . He told the defendant: "Preston Davey was 13 months old when he was murdered by you. It was you who did this. You murdered him. You must stay in prison for the rest of your life. You will never be eligible for parole" .
Varley's partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a former public schoolboy and financial sales manager, was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty, and sexual assault .
Relationship 'turmoil' theory
In a development that may provide insight into the motives behind the horrific abuse, a former work colleague has come forward with a claim about the events leading up to the tragedy. The source, who worked alongside Varley, believes he may have discovered that McGowan-Fazakerley had been unfaithful.
The former colleague told a journalist: "He'd found out that John had cheated on him and I think he took it out on the baby. I think it was an ongoing affair and Jamie found some messages on his phone" . The source speculated that the affair may have occurred in Manchester, where McGowan-Fazakerley worked .
However, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fallows, who led the murder investigation for Lancashire Police, painted a different picture of the dynamic between the two men. He stated that McGowan-Fazakerley had adopted a "hear no evil, see no evil" approach to the abuse . "He saw and cared for Preston Davey on a daily basis," DCI Fallows said. "He must have seen a significant amount of injuries over that four-month period. He knew that Preston had suffered a fracture to his arm" .
A catalogue of cruelty
Preston Davey was just nine months old when he was placed with the couple in April 2023 with a view to adoption . Four months later, on 27 July 2023, the baby was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest . Despite the efforts of medical professionals, he was pronounced dead less than an hour later .
A post-mortem examination concluded that Preston died from acute upper airway obstruction, meaning he had been smothered or something had been inserted into his mouth . The investigation revealed that Preston had suffered 40 internal and external injuries, including bruising to his mouth, throat, bowel and bladder, along with a healing fracture to his left arm deemed to be non-accidental .
Prosecutors proved that in the final months of his life, Preston was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused, and physically assaulted . Evidence showed that Varley had taken indecent images and videos of the infant, which were stored on his phone . Medical evidence confirmed that injuries to Preston's body were consistent with sexual assault shortly before his death and in the weeks prior .
Karen Tonge of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley had a responsibility to care for and protect baby Preston. They violated that responsibility and 13-month-old Preston was abused with sickening ease" .
Future behind bars
Former prison governor Vanessa Frake-Harris has warned that offenders convicted of crimes against children are routinely targeted inside prison, with Varley's case making him one of the most vulnerable inmates in the country . She stated he could face "non-stop psychological warfare", including constant abuse, death threats, and the risk of violent attacks if exposed to the general prison population .
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, described Wakefield as "one of the most dangerous prisons in the country" and said he would expect Varley to remain in segregation for his own protection . The prison has a grim history of violence against child killers, with convicted murderer Kyle Bevan stabbed to death by fellow inmates last year .
The pair, who were approved for adoption in January 2023 and had passed all required assessment processes , are expected to be held separately throughout their sentences . Preston had been taken from his mother, Sarah Davey, by an emergency care order from Oldham Council and placed into foster care at five days old . Davey herself had been jailed as a teenager for the murder of a 71-year-old woman in 1999 .
As Varley attempts to hide behind his new alias of Harry Robb, the question remains whether this desperate attempt at anonymity will offer any protection from the "sick, sorry world" one former inmate has predicted awaits him behind bars . What is certain is that Preston Davey, the innocent child who should have been protected, will never have the opportunity to change his identity or escape the horror inflicted upon hit.
