Baby left at 'mercy' of adoptive parents - murder trial

A baby was left at the "mercy" of his abusive adoptive parents and paid with his life, a court heard.

Preston Davey, aged 13 months, died after months of alleged sexual and physical abuse by high school head of year Jamie Varley, 37, Preston Crown Court heard.

Varley, accused of murder and 25 other offences, adopted the boy with his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, who is accused of causing or allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault.

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

• Warning: The following court evidence contains distressing information

Peter Wright KC, in his closing speech to the jury in the seventh week of the trial, said: "Preston Davey was just nine months old when he was placed with these defendants for adoption.

"It was supposed to be, you may conclude, the start of a new life together for each of them.

"Yet just a few days short of four months later Preston was dead and his body contained injuries both external and internal we say, consistent with his abuse."

Wright said it was only after Preston began living at their home in Blackpool, in April 2023, that he began to suffer non-accidental "cluster" injuries of bruising, seizures or respiratory failures and evidence of abnormality of his anatomy.

He suggested the "common denominator" was when he was left alone with Varley.

Wright said Varley's sexual interest in Preston was evident "within weeks" of his placement, an interest "shared" by his partner, shown by alleged indecent images and videos taken of the child.

The prosecutor added: "Preston's death was a tragedy waiting to happen. Mr McGowan-Fazakerley knew that but chose to ignore it."

The cause of Preston's death was found to be acute upper airways obstruction by either smothering or an object or objects inserted into his mouth.

A post-mortem examination found 40 external and internal trauma injuries to the child's body, consistent with "forcible penetration" and sexual abuse and ruled out drowning as a cause of death.

Preston had been rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on 27 July 2023, with Varley telling medical staff he had left the child in the bath for two or three minutes and returned to find him submerged.

Wright said: "As Preston lay dying, he needed an explanation and the charade then followed."

He reminded jurors the child was noted as having dry hair, was wearing a nappy, the bath tub was empty of water and no water was found in his lungs.

And he recalled how witness Janet Gee, a work colleague of Varley, told the court how Varley had told her of his "dark thoughts" about drowning or suffocating the child.

Concluding his closing speech, the prosecutor added: "Preston was at the mercy of Jamie Varley on the 27th of July, and paid for it with his life."

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.

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