The courtroom chapter is over. The prison sentence has begun.

Jamie Varley, the former teacher convicted of murdering his 13-month-old adopted son Preston Davey, has been handed one of the most severe sentences available under English law: a whole-life order.

The sentence means Varley will spend the rest of his life in prison and will not become eligible for parole.

But after the dramatic conclusion of the Preston Davey trial, attention has now shifted to a very different question:

What does life look like for Varley inside a high-security prison?

On June 18, 2026, Varley was sentenced to a whole-life order after being convicted of Preston’s murder and a series of other offences involving the baby.

The judge’s decision means there is no conventional release date waiting at the end of his sentence.

Unlike a standard life sentence with a minimum tariff, a whole-life order means Varley is expected to remain imprisoned for the rest of his natural life, subject only to the extremely limited circumstances provided for under law.

His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, received a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted of allowing Preston’s death, child cruelty and sexual assault.

For Varley, the legal consequences of the case are therefore essentially permanent.