Convicted K-il-l-er of 13-Month-Old Preston Davey Enters One of Britain’s Most Feared Prisons Amid Alleged “Bounty” Rumors
Baby Preston’s Evil Killer Jamie Varley’s Jail ‘Hell’ – ‘Bounty on His Head’
There is “no way out of hell” for the evil baby abuser and killer. Baby Preston Davey’s killer Jamie Varley has a “bounty on his head” in his new living-hell prison, a far cry from his four-bedroom £450,000 detached home where he lived with his paedophile boyfriend. The evil murderer has been transferred to HMP Wakefield, otherwise known as Monster Mansion thanks to its violent Category A inmates, where child killers and sexual abusers are viewed as the lowest of the low.
The 37-year-old teacher is serving a life order there after subjecting his adoptive child Preston to months of horrific physical, sexual and emotional abuse, before killing him. Varley’s whole life order means he will never be released from prison, except in exceptional compassionate circumstances, and a source told the Daily Mail there is now “no way out of this hell for him”.
According to reports, the cowardly killer was “sobbing and quaking” in his cell as reality set in of this violent prison, where a child killer and a paedophile were brutally killed in the last year alone. Fellow inmates reportedly gave him a “traditional prisoners’ welcome” by hammering on cell bars shouting threats at the child killer.
“There’s a bounty on his head, everyone wants to be the one to hurt him first, and he was made very aware of that as he entered the prison,” a source said. “The other prisoners knew he was coming and they waited for him. They want him scared and they want to make his time inside as awful as they can – and now he knows he has a lot of time inside to serve.”
High-Profile Child Killer Murders at Wakefield Prison
Last November, Kyle Bevan, who murdered his partner’s two-year-old daughter, was ambushed in his cell by three murderers. The 33-year-old was held down and stabbed 25 times before they tucked him up in bed to bleed to death. Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, who was convicted of child sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby, was fatally stabbed in the neck at the jail.
Varley is currently being held in segregation and under constant supervision to prevent him from harming himself. However, experts predict that officers will likely have to place Varley in a Vulnerable Prisoner Unit or under Rule 45 segregation to keep him alive during the entire sentence.
The transfer to Wakefield represents a dramatic and frightening change in circumstances for Varley, who was previously held at the lower-security Category B Preston Prison. His fears about being moved to a high-security facility appear to have materialised, leaving him struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life among some of Britain’s most dangerous criminals.
Varley’s Background and the Horrific Crimes
Varley, a former teacher, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley were convicted following a harrowing trial at Preston Crown Court. The couple had adopted baby Preston after he was taken from his birth mother, Sarah Davey – herself a convicted killer – just five days after his birth. Preston had initially thrived with foster parents before being placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2025.
In the four months that followed, the toddler suffered routine assaults and abuse. A post-mortem examination after his death in July 2025 at the age of 13 months revealed around 40 external and internal injuries, some consistent with forcible penetration and sexual abuse. Varley claimed the baby had drowned, but prosecutors argued he had been smothered to death.
Varley was found guilty of murder, child cruelty, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, and taking indecent images. McGowan-Fazakerley was convicted of allowing a child’s death, child cruelty, and sexual assault of a child. The judge, Mr Justice Turner, described the pair as “sadistic” and told Varley he would never be eligible for parole, imposing a whole-life order. McGowan-Fazakerley received a 25-year sentence.
Previous Concerns and Escape Risk Status
Before his transfer, Varley had been classified as an “escape risk” at Preston Prison after guards uncovered a plot to break out of custody. As a result, he was required to wear a distinctive yellow and green jumpsuit, and his movements within the prison were heavily restricted. Despite his crimes, he had maintained “enhanced” prisoner status – the highest privilege level – which allowed him £33 per week to spend on canteen items and access to a 24-hour Freeview TV package.
Varley had repeatedly voiced his dread of being moved to a high-security facility, reportedly telling others, “I will end up like Ian Watkins.” His fears appear to have materialised with the transfer to Wakefield, where he is now struggling to cope with the harsh realities of life among some of Britain’s most dangerous criminals.
The Human Cost and Ongoing Monitoring
The case of baby Preston Davey shocked the nation when details emerged during the trial. The young child had been failed by the system that was supposed to protect him, having been placed with individuals who subjected him to unimaginable suffering. Varley’s current state of distress, while perhaps unsurprising given his crimes and new environment, has drawn attention to the challenges of managing high-risk offenders within the prison system.
Prison Service sources have confirmed that officers are keeping close tabs on Varley, particularly due to his expressed suicidal thoughts and refusal to eat. However, the practical limitations of staffing mean that one-to-one observation cannot continue indefinitely. Whether Varley will eventually adapt to life at Wakefield or continue to deteriorate remains to be seen.
The transfer has highlighted the vulnerabilities faced even by those convicted of the most heinous crimes when placed in environments filled with other dangerous individuals. Varley’s case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of such offences, both for the victims and, in different ways, for the perpetrators themselves once behind bars.
As Varley adjusts – or fails to adjust – to his new surroundings at ‘Monster Mansion,’ the focus remains on the tragic loss of baby Preston and the failures that allowed such abuse to occur. The whole-life sentence ensures that Varley will never again walk free, but his time in prison is likely to be marked by fear and isolation.
The prison authorities have declined to comment on the specific details of Varley’s situation, in line with standard policy. Meanwhile, the public continues to grapple with the horrifying details of the case that led to his incarceration. For the family and loved ones of baby Preston, the sentencing brought a degree of justice, though nothing can restore what was so cruelly taken.
Varley’s reported desire for his life to end and his refusal to engage with prison life underscore the psychological impact of his new reality. Whether this distress leads to any meaningful reflection on his crimes or simply deepens his isolation is something only time will tell. For now, the killer of baby Preston sits in his cell at Wakefield Prison, a place where many of the country’s most notorious offenders have ended up, facing the consequences of his actions in an environment that offers little comfort or safety.
