A former teacher accused of sexually abusing and killing an adopted baby joked the child was “dead meat,” a court has heard.
Jamie Varley, 37, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, adopted 13-month-old Preston Davey in April 2023, Preston Crown Court was told. The baby was allegedly ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and was sexually abused and physically assaulted at the defendants’ home in Blackpool, suffering 40 traumatic injuries.
Preston died in hospital on July 27, 2023, after experiencing a collapse and cardiac arrest, allegedly following a sexual assault by Varley. Varley denies murder, while his co-accused denies allowing the death of a child, along with multiple other offences.
Adoption and Early Struggles
Varley, who took a year off work as head of year at a high school to adopt a child, underwent an assessment and familiarisation process before Preston began living with the defendants on April 1, 2023. However, just days later, Varley confessed he was struggling with a lack of sleep due to the baby constantly waking during the night, the jury heard.
On April 6, he texted his sister, a baby sleep trainer: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours.”
Four days later, Varley sent his mother, Karen Graham, a video of Preston in his walker. She replied: “Clever boy xxx.” Varley then responded: “This was before he was murdered and put to bed.”
Disturbing Messages
In other messages, Varley texted a friend: “First sleep over. I wanted to put him in the field with the cows,” but later described Preston as a “ray of sunshine.” He said the child was “refusing” to go to sleep and was “very needy,” adding in another text: “He’s just annoying. Lol.” He went on to tell the friend: “Right now we are questioning every choice.”
Varley also said Preston was “crying all the time” and that they were “really struggling” due to the lack of sleep being a “nightmare.”
Foster Carer's Testimony
Foster parent Sandra Cooper looked after Preston for 10 months after his birth in June 2022, when he was taken into care by Oldham Council at just five days old. In a statement read to the jury, Mrs Cooper said: “Preston was a very happy baby.”
She noted that while he was “not a good sleeper,” he quickly went back to sleep when his head was stroked. After a dairy intolerance was identified and his milk changed, Preston was “happy and content,” she added. “Preston was a perfectly healthy baby.”
Mrs Cooper handed Preston over to the defendants at the end of March 2023. However, the baby was taken to hospital three times in the following months, including once with a fractured left elbow, the jury heard.
Fatal Incident
On July 27, 2023, the defendants rushed Preston to hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest, but medics could not revive him. Varley told police he had briefly left the child in the bath and when he returned, he was drowning.
A Home Office post-mortem examination found multiple non-accidental internal and external injuries. The cause of death was determined to be acute upper airways obstruction, either by smothering or by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.
Charges
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 count of distributing an indecent photo of a child (to his co-accused), and one count of making an indecent photo.
McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty, and one count of sexual assault of a child.
The trial was adjourned until Wednesday morning.
