Listen to 999 call made in run up to murder of Preston Davey after he was placed for adoption in Blackpool
A jury at Preston Crown Court have been played emergency calls in the run up to the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey, which prosecutors believes demonstrate a delay in medical care being sought for the baby.
An emergency 999 call from the partner of a Blackpool teacher accused of murdering a 13-month-old baby he was trying to adopt has been played to the jury.
On May 15, 2023, the partner of Jamie Varley, John McGowan-Fazakerley, made a 999 call to the emergency services.
The court heard the call was answered, but it was abandoned four seconds later after: “put it down” could be heard in the background being said by someone. Prosecutors say the voice in the background could only have been that of Jamie Varley.
Varley, a former Textiles teacher at South Shore Academy, is standing trial at Preston Crown Court accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey, who died in Blackpool Victoria hospital on July 27, 2023.
Varley, 37, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining denies murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.
His partner and co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, also of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining 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. He denies all charges.
The jury heard the police called back after the original 999 call was abandoned. A male answered and explained that he had called 999 in error, meaning instead to have called the non-emergency number of 111.
Prosecutor Pete Wright QC said: “Oddly, it doesn’t appear the caller then called 111. The occupants of the house electing instead to relocate to the home of Jamie Varley’s parents from where at 10.16pm a call was then made by McGowan-Fazakerley to 111 and a report of “breathing problems” and an inability of the baby to hold his head properly was related to the call handler.
“An out of hours call within two hours was arranged. When made to the given mobile number of McGowan-Fazakerley it remained unanswered.
“The next morning was coincidentally the day of the first visit to the couple in respect of Preston Davey by the Health Visitor assigned to them. When she attended, Preston appeared well. The parents told her that Preston had been a little unwell the previous evening and they had brought his cot into the bedroom to monitor him.
“No reference was made by either of them to the events of the previous night involving the emergency or non-emergency services; or of any call back or perceived failure on the part of the out of hours service so to do.
“By late May the first of Preston’s admissions to Blackpool Victoria Hospital took place in respect of a nose bleed; seizure and reported breathing difficulties at which bruising was noted but seemingly satisfactorily explained. Preston’s respiratory condition was put down to being a chest infection as his chest X-ray showed some “haziness” which was possibly due to viral infection. The seizures were considered to be “febrile” (a medical term for one that has no obvious cause) and a natural response of the body, particularly in infants, in seeking to cool itself down and to low levels of sodium (which were appropriately treated).
“The nose bleed was considered may have been due to a raised temperature. Clotting tests ruled out any more serious cause. The defendants also informed the medical staff of the earlier event of shortness of breath in which they called 111, but asserted that they had not received any return call. Preston remained under observation for a couple of days and appeared to have recovered.”
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Varley told police Preston accidentally drowned in a bath, but this was inconsistent with the post mortem which discovered the child had suffered 40 injuries, a jury at Preston Crown Court heard.
The jury were also told he had shared messages with a colleagues saying he was having ‘dark thoughts’ about harming Preston after struggling once he was placed with them by Oldham Council.
The trial continues.