Man accused of sexually abusing baby Preston Davey at his Blackpool home said he never suspected partner

A man accused of sexually abusing a baby he was in the process of adopting and was then allegedly murdered by his partner told a jury he never saw anyone harm the child and he trusted his co-accused.

John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of causing or allowing the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey, along with child cruelty and a sexual assault.

His partner, ex-South Shore Academy teacher Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of the murder of the child and multiple offences of cruelty and child sexual abuse.

Both men deny a sexual interest in the baby and have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Anne Whyte KC, defending McGowan-Fazakerley, a graduate with a master’s degree who worked as a sales manager in finance, asked him about the accusation he knew, or should have known, that Preston was at risk from Varley.

The defendant replied: “He did everything right that I saw.

“He never did anything in my eyesight or when I was at home to make me think or question my leaving this little boy, and he’s not going to be here any more.

“I trusted Jamie constantly, indefinitely, there was never a moment I would not trust him to care for him in a way I always saw him to do so.”

Preston, a “sweet and bubbly” baby, was placed with the couple for adoption at their home in Staining Road, Staining in April 2023.

During the four months Preston was in their care it is alleged he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and was sexually abused and physically assaulted.

Preston had been taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital three times already before his death, when on a final time he was rushed unresponsive to accident and emergency by the defendants at around 6.30pm on July 27 2023.

Varley said he left the child in the bath and when he returned two or three minutes later he was submerged.

But a post-mortem examination ruled out drowning and found a cause of death as acute upper airway obstruction.

And the pathologist found around 40 trauma injuries, internally and externally to Preston, including tears and lacerations, with “in excess” of 30 ‘non-accidential’ bruises across his body.

Parts of his anatomy were also described as “abnormal” with injuries consistent with sexual abuse and “forcible penetration”.

Fazakerley-McGowan was asked about Varley allegedly telling a friend, Janet Gee, he had “dark thoughts” about the baby by suffocating or drowning him.

Ms Whyte continued: “Given what Mr Varley is alleged to have said about the type of harm, that he disputes, and what the prosecution said about his cause of death, how do you feel about the fact that you were not informed?”

He said: “If these conversations happened, I feel quite, it’s quite a strong word, disturbed, if those conversations happened, why no one has told me about it.

“I feel heartbroken. She’s got my number. She’s a friend. Why on earth would she not pick up that phone and tell me or tell somebody that Jamie had that conversation?”

The defendant was then asked about a 14-minute video taken by Varley of Preston alone in an empty bath to learn to ‘self-soothe’.

He said the first he was aware of it was when it was shown to the jury in court.

He said: “Nothing more than just shocking and inappropriate and pathetic. The video makes me very angry. Very angry.”

The defendant was also asked about images from Varley’s phone of Preston in his cot four days before his death.

The images stretch over a period of three minutes and 12 seconds, with the child’s head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot and his neck resting on the bar.

His body is apparently partially suspended, his legs in a “frog-like” setting and the child seemingly asleep or unconscious, in a “very unsafe” and “dangerous” position.

The defendant said he was cooking Sunday lunch and was called upstairs by Varley to see the child supposedly having fallen asleep again in an unusual position.

He said: “I remember seeing him over the bars of the cot with his arms and saying, ‘Oh bloody heck, what’s he like?’. And saying put him down.”

He told the jury he took only a “fleeting look” and expected his partner to lay him down while he carried on cooking.

Ms Whyte said the prosecution allege the child had been put in that position to be sexually abused by both men.

He said: “It’s sick. It’s vile, its disgusting, it’s abhorrent, it’s inhuman.”

McGowan-Fazakerley said he never suspected Varley and he had never sexually assaulted the child.

“That I’m having to have to say those words leave my mouth is ridiculous,” he added.

Textiles teacher and head of year 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 co-accused, salesman McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, also of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday morning.