Watch ex-South Shore Academy teacher accused of murdering baby arrive at Blackpool Victoria Hospital with him

This is the chilling moment a Blackpool teacher accused of murdering the baby he was trying to adopt arrived at hospital after he collapsed.

Jamie Varley, 37, a former teacher at Blackpool’s South Shore Academy is accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey, who died in Blackpool Victoria hospital on July 27, 2023.

His partner and co-accused 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.

The pair, both of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining are standing trial at Preston Crown Court.

Yesterday, the jury were shown the moment the couple arrived at Blackpool Vic cradling the baby after he collapsed at their Staining home.

Medics worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate the child until a decision was made that further intervention was futile and life was pronounced extinct at 7.18pm.

During the four months the baby was placed with them before the formal adoption process was due to be completed, he was allegedly routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, was sexually abused and physically assaulted, jurors have heard.

On the day Preston died, at around 6.25pm, the court was told paramedic Simon Crabb was outside the ambulance bay and saw textiles teacher Varley running with a “floppy” baby in his arms, and told him the child was not breathing.

Mr Crabb said the other parent, McGowan-Fazakerley, was present and was calmer, “but had a look of terror in his eyes”.

He took the child and began giving mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths as he ran inside the Accident and Emergency Department and a “crash” team was scrambled.

The jury heard little Preston was given chest compressions and oxygen, while other medics rushed to help and specialist equipment readied.

Mr Crabb said Varley was “hysterical” and told him he had left the baby in the bath while he had a shower and returned three to four minutes later.

Mr Crabb said Varley told him: “Don’t let him die! Please don’t let him die.”

An emergency team worked for up to an hour on Preston but he could not be revived, the court heard.

The jury has heard Varley’s claims Preston accidentally drowned in a bath was inconsistent with the findings of the post-mortem examination.

Prior to his death he had three hospital admissions in less than four months.

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 while in their care. He had bruising inside his mouth, had suffered severe internal injuries and was suffocated to death.

Dr Wendy Aubrey, a senior anaesthetist, had intubated Preston – that is inserted a small tube into his throat to get oxygen to his lungs.

She told the jury she did not see any water in the child’s mouth or airways, adding: “There was no water in his lungs. I would have expected water in his lungs.”

She said it was standard practice to invite family in to see their child under resuscitation and both defendants and Varley’s mother were brought in to see Preston.

Dr Aubrey continued: “I recall one dad quite subdued.

“The other dad was very dramatic and more dramatic than I have seen parents previously. A bit chaotic. He would not stand still and let people support him and would not listen to what has been said.

“He was initially shouting, ‘Don’t let him die.’ He said, ‘I effing killed him.’”

After efforts to revive Preston had ended, Dr Aubrey said the same parent, identified in the medical notes as Varley, then tried to give chest compressions and mouth to mouth resuscitation to Preston, despite the breathing tube being still in place.

She added: “I had to be really quite firm and tell him to stop because of what he was continuing trying to do to Preston.”

Dr Anthony Kearns, lead consultant in the accident and emergency department who tried to save Preston, said he had been told the child had been pulled from water.

Dr Kearns continued: “The child was completely dry. They had a nappy in situ, which appeared to be appropriately placed.”

The jury heard four hours before the hospital visit, Varley had visited his mother’s house.

Jurors were shown a video clip he had taken and sent to his co-accused, who was at work, of Preston being bounced on his grandmother’s knee.

She is singing, “If you’re happy and you know it clap you’re your hands” with Preston smiling and clapping his hands along to the song.

It is alleged after leaving her house to go home Varley subjected the child to a final sexual assault.

Varley 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.

McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The trial continues.