A former colleague of Jamie Varley has stepped forward, offering insights into the tense days leading up to the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey. Her account, reported by UK media outlets, raises urgent questions about the private dynamics in the adoptive home. While not yet proven in court, the testimony adds another layer to an already devastating case that has gripped the nation.

Jamie Varley, 37, a former head of year and design and technology teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a sales manager, were convicted earlier this year of abusing and murdering Preston Davey. The baby, adopted by the couple in April 2023, suffered more than 40 traumatic injuries—bruises, fractures, and signs of sexual assault—over four months. On July 27, 2023, Varley was alone with Preston when he recorded a video showing the child struggling to breathe. The couple rushed him to hospital, where he died later that evening.

The prosecution presented overwhelming evidence: indecent images, videos, and texts revealing Varley’s distorted relationship with the child. Varley claimed Preston drowned accidentally in the bath after a brief absence, but medical experts rejected this. No water was found in the lungs, and the cause was acute upper airway obstruction—consistent with an object being forced into the baby’s mouth.

Yet, as the trial progressed, the full picture of the couple’s private life emerged through messages, neighbour reports, and colleague accounts. Varley had taken a year off work to care for Preston, but the texts painted a different story. He complained repeatedly about exhaustion, sleepless nights, and resentment toward the baby. One message to his sister read: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every one and a half hours.” Another to a colleague: “Killing John” (a playful or frustrated reference to McGowan-Fazakerley).

A former colleague of Varley has now come forward with details that could explain the escalating tensions. She describes learning of “secret messages” between the couple that suggested infidelity on McGowan-Fazakerley’s part. According to the source, who knew Varley as a friend for over a decade, the discovery of these messages caused “a lot of problems.” She believes the shock and anger drove Varley to take his frustration out on Preston.

“He’d found out that John had cheated on him and I think he took it out on the baby,” she told reporters. “I think it was an ongoing affair and Jamie found some messages on his phone… I assume it happened in Manchester because that was where John worked.”

This claim has not been tested in court and remains unverified. Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley deny any wrongdoing and have portrayed their relationship as supportive. During the trial, Varley admitted some texts showed marital strain but insisted they were exaggerated or exaggerated by his mental state. McGowan-Fazakerley, in contrast, has been accused of allowing the abuse while continuing his job.

The colleague’s testimony fits a pattern of ignored warnings. At the school, Janet Gee and other colleagues had heard Varley describe “dark thoughts” about drowning or suffocating the child. He said he had confided in his employer and social workers. Some staff raised concerns about his behaviour and the baby’s frequent hospital visits, but no immediate action followed. Neighbours also reported hearing the baby crying for prolonged periods.

These revelations come as the trial continues to examine how the couple’s facade of a “perfect adoptive family” masked years of secret suffering for a child who had already endured hardship—his biological mother, convicted of murder, had placed him in care.

The case has shocked Britain. Preston was treated as a “plaything,” in the words of prosecutors, with Varley’s photographs and videos capturing abuse that experts called “sadistic.” A child safeguarding review is now underway to prevent similar oversights in the future.

Whether the colleague’s account of relationship secrets and resulting rage helps explain the final days—or simply underscores the depth of the abuse—is still to be determined. What is clear is that questions about the private life of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley remain unanswered. Behind the closed doors of their home lay a dark reality that claimed an innocent life.

Preston Davey’s death was not just a tragedy of four months of abuse—it may have been the result of a marriage strained beyond breaking point, resentment turned inward, and a system that missed the signs. As the country absorbs the verdict, one thing is certain: no child should ever suffer in silence, and this case has left lasting questions about what really happened behind closed doors.