Adopted baby Preston Davey was 'routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and assaulted', say prosecution
Described by the prosecution as "a distressing case" Preston Crown Court was told toddler Preston Davey had suffered 40 injuries including a blockage of his upper airway whilst in Jamie Varley’s and John McGowan-Fazakerley’s care.
A former Blackpool high school teacher has denied the murder and sexual assault of a baby boy he was in the process of adopting, Preston Crown Court heard today.
13-month-old Preston Davey was suffocated to death, had bruising inside his mouth and had suffered severe internal injuries, the prosecution said.
Jamie Varley, 37, a former teacher at South Shore Academy is accused of murdering Preston, who died in Blackpool Victoria hospital on July 27, 2023.
His partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of causing and allowing the death of a child; two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and sexual assault of a male child under 13.
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court how after Preston was placed for adoption with the defendants and living with them in Blackpool, he was admitted to Blackpool Victoria on three occasions with a variety of ailments including asserted breathing difficulties; “seizures”; nose bleeds and a fracture to his elbow.
In what Mr Wright called "a distressing case" he said in total the toddler had suffered 40 injuries including a blockage of his upper airway whilst in their care.
The prosecution said hospital staff noticed facial bruising, but it was explained sufficiently by the couple as to be discounted as having been deliberately caused. Medical records revealed Preston recovered quickly from any reported breathing difficulties or abnormality.
However, Mr Wright said: "Although the treating physicians put it down on the earlier occasions to non-specific viral chest infections, the results of tests on Preston's lung tissue conducted after death disclosed findings consistent with earlier episodes of respiratory obstruction.”
Jamie Varley, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining is standing trial accused of murdering Preston while his partner and co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, also of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, formerly of Staining Road, Staining is charged with: causing and allowing the death of a child; two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 and sexual assault of a male child under 13.
Varley is charged with: murder; two counts of sexual assault of a male child under 13; two counts of sexual assault of a male child under 13; inflicting grievous bodily harm; five counts of cruelty to a person under 16; 10 counts of taking indecent images of a child; two counts of possessing indecent images of a child and one count of distributing an indecent image of a child.
The pair were in the process of adopting toddler Preston when he died at Blackpool Victoria after he was brought in unresponsive.
Mr Wright said: "On the day of his admission (and death) Preston Davey's body told a very different story to one of natural infection and ailment. It was one consistent with physical abuse on the part of Jamie Varley and of a failure on the part of John McGowan-Fazakerley to protect him from physical and sexual harm.
"In the final months of his brief life, we say he was routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted."
He claimed there was 'a sinister pathology' to the abuse of the toddler.
He added: "Someone, with something, so compromised this little boy's ability to breathe that he was smothered to death."
The court was told how Varley made indecent videos and took indecent photographs of Preston, taking an image as a 'memento' of an assault, claiming it was easy to differentiate from abuse and "happy family snaps".
The court also heard how a 14 minute video of Preston slithering and struggling alone and unattended in a bath was taken by Varley, who also sent a three second video of a naked Preston to his partner, while making sexual jokes.
Preston was also shown being spun round violently in a children's teacup roundabout, clearly disorientated and in a state of distress, while being recorded.
The court heard how Preston was also videoed being subjected to sleep deprivation and loud music, which he described as 'psychological torture.'
Varley was suspended as a teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool when he was arrested in 2023.
Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial continues.