Former teacher 'routinely' sexually abused adopted baby before killing him, court hears

A former high school teacher sexually assaulted his adopted baby before smothering him to death, a court has heard. 

Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of killing 13-month-old Preston Davey, and faces 25 further charges of sexually and physically mistreating the child.

His partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is also accused of sexual assault, of causing or allowing the death of the child, and four other offences.

Both men, from Blackpool, deny all charges.

Preston Crown Court heard that the child was "routinely ill-treated, sexually abused, and physically assaulted" in the less than four months he spent under the couple's care.

He had been a "perfectly healthy boy" before he was adopted in April 2023, jurors were told.

But in the following months he was admitted to hospital three times, before his death on 27 July that year.

Preston was unconscious and in a state of cardiac arrest when he was brought into the Accident and Emergency Department of Blackpool Victoria Hospital by the couple.

Medics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

He had suffered 40 traumatic injuries, including 30 external bruises, a fracture to his upper left arm, and internal bruising to his mouth and throat.

A post-mortem gave his cause of death as acute upper airways obstruction, resulting either from a smothering - most likely with a hand or soft fabric - or from the insertion of an object or objects into his mouth.

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Peter Wright KC, opening the case for the prosecution, told the jury of six women and six men: "As terrible as it is, this tragedy was not the result of some dreadful yet unforeseen accident, or natural phenomenon.

"The evidence gathered during the investigation into his untimely death revealed a much more sinister pathology."

The prosecution said Varley had sexually assaulted Preston on the day of his death, leaving him with internal injuries, while his partner was at work.

McGowan-Fazakerley was not only aware of the abuse, but participated in it too, Mr Wright said.

After Varley's arrest, police seized his phone and discovered footage recorded earlier that day showing the little boy lying on a bed with physical and obvious signs of respiratory arrest.

Varley had also taken a number of images and videos of the abuse, the court heard.

Jurors were warned to "steel themselves" before images of the baby were shown on a screen, which the prosecution said were taken after he had been sexually assaulted.

Varley, wearing a cream suit, open-necked white shirt, and shoulder-length hair with blonde streaks, sat in the dock beside McGowan-Fazakerley, who wore a green top and jeans, yards from Preston's mother in the public gallery.

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 was adjourned until Tuesday morning.

(c) Sky News 2026: Former teacher 'routinely' sexually abused adopted baby before killing him, court hears