Jamie Varley, a 37-year-old former school teacher jailed for life over the abuse and murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, has reportedly changed his name in an attempt to conceal his identity behind bars. According to the Daily Mail, he applied by deed poll to become "Harry Jae Robb" within days of starting his sentence, a move said to be driven by fear after fellow inmates allegedly placed a bounty on him and sent death threats. The story matters as an illustration of the dangers faced by high-profile child killers in prison and the lengths to which they may go to avoid reprisals.

Varley is being held at HMP Wakefield, the high-security jail nicknamed "Monster Mansion", where a prison source described him as "petrified" and "a dead man walking". The source claimed he believes the name change will grant him anonymity and reduce the risk of vigilante attacks. The article notes his reported fear of suffering the same fate as Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, another notorious inmate. A deed poll name change is described as a straightforward process costing £53.05.