Blackpool Tower to Shine Blue for Murdered Toddler Preston Davey After Birth Mother’s Emotional Request One of the United Kingdom’s most i
One of the United Kingdom’s most iconic and recognizable landmarks is set to be illuminated in a deeply poignant tribute to 13-month-old Preston Davey. Blackpool Tower, a historic structure that dominates the skyline of the Lancashire resort town, will light up in a bright blue color later this month to honor the memory of the tragic toddler. The emotional tribute comes after a direct, heartfelt request from Preston’s birth mother, Sarah Davey, nearly three years after her little boy lost his life in a horrific campaign of systematic domestic abuse.
Preston was just over a year old when he was brutally murdered by his adoptive father, Jamie Varley. At the time of the tragic death, Varley and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, were in the middle of formal adoption proceedings after the toddler had been placed in their care as prospective adopters in March 2023. What was supposed to be a safe, loving new beginning for the young boy quickly turned into an absolute nightmare behind closed doors, away from the eyes of social services.
A subsequent, devastating seven-week trial held at Preston Crown Court exposed the dark reality of the child’s living conditions. The court heard harrowing testimony revealing that the defenseless infant had suffered extensive physical, emotional, and sexual abuse during his brief time living with the couple. A detailed post-mortem examination uncovered the true scale of the violence, finding that Preston had sustained approximately 40 separate, distinct injuries across his body before he ultimately succumbed. Prosecutors working the case did not hold back in their assessment, describing the evidence as some of the most shocking, cruel, and distressing they had ever encountered in their entire legal careers.
The British judicial system responded to the sheer brutality of the crimes with absolute severity. Varley was handed a whole-life order, meaning he will die behind bars without the possibility of parole, for charges including murder, multiple sexual offenses, causing grievous bodily harm, child cruelty, and possessing indecent images. His partner, McGowan-Fazakerley, was also handed a lengthy sentence, receiving 25 years in prison for his role in causing or allowing the death of a child, alongside charges of cruelty and sexual assault.
The announcement of the upcoming landmark illumination has coincided with fresh news regarding the killers’ real estate movements following the crime. A residential property located on Staining Road in Blackpool, which the couple moved into shortly after Preston’s death, has officially been put up for sale on the open market. The house is scheduled to be sold via an online auction concluding on July 31, drawing mixed reactions from a local community still struggling to process the proximity of such evil.
Alongside the symbolic blue lighting of Blackpool Tower, community advocates and local residents are actively planning a public vigil to ensure the short, tragic life of the 13-month-old boy is never forgotten by the public. For Sarah Davey, the tower’s illumination represents a small sliver of justice and a visible symbol that her son’s memory will be carried forward by thousands of people. The case continues to prompt intense national discussion regarding the oversight of prospective adopters and the urgent need to reform institutional safeguarding mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable children in society.
