Teacher Accused of Murder Revealed Dark Thoughts About Drowning Baby to Colleague
A teacher accused of murdering a 13-month-old baby he was in the process of adopting told a colleague he had 'dark thoughts' of 'drowning or suffocating' the infant but insisted he would never carry them out, Preston Crown Court heard. Jamie Varley, 37, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, were adopting Preston Davey, who died in July 2023.
Disturbing Confession to Work Colleague
Prosecutor Peter Wright, K.C., detailed how Varley's former work colleague, Janet Gee, contacted police after Preston's death. The court heard that in early July, Varley visited Gee with Preston, whose arm was in a plaster cast from a broken elbow, and appeared 'on edge'. After McGowan-Fazakerley arrived and took Preston away, Varley remained alone with Gee.
Varley revealed he was struggling mentally, worried about Preston's sleeping issues and his own failure to bond with the child as hoped. He disclosed having harmful thoughts toward Preston, specifically of drowning or suffocating him, but assured Gee he would never act on them. Gee attempted to reassure him that such thoughts could be rationally explained as protective parental anxieties about worst-case scenarios.
Inadequate Disclosure to Authorities
Gee asked Varley, a head of year at a secondary school in Blackpool, Lancashire, if he had disclosed these thoughts during routine welfare checks at work or to social workers involved in the adoption. Varley claimed he had told 'everything' to the staff member responsible for his welfare and had informed social workers about his struggles. Gee dismissed the exchange until learning of Preston's death, after which she reported it to police.
Wright argued it was 'inconceivable' that Varley would share such dark thoughts with a former colleague but not with his partner, with whom he shared Preston's care. He questioned why Varley would unburden himself to Gee while keeping these thoughts from McGowan-Fazakerley.
Events Leading to Preston's Death
On the day of Preston's death, Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley had arranged to view a house before McGowan-Fazakerley went to work. Preston was left with Varley's mother, and a picture taken at 2:25 pm showed a healthy boy being bounced on his adoptive grandmother's knee.
Later that afternoon, Varley recorded a 45-second video of Preston via Snapchat, showing the baby lying on a double bed in a 'Babygro' outfit and struggling to breathe. A consultant in paediatric respiratory medicine viewed the footage and concluded Preston appeared to be recovering from an episode where he had not been breathing. The child's lips showed signs of cyanosis—a bluish hue from respiratory failure—and his breathing was laboured. Varley remained silent in the recording and did not physically aid Preston.
Neglect and Suspicious Behavior
Examination of Varley's phone revealed he used a calculator app and focused on 'the possible sale of a Kayak by his partner to a prospective buyer'. Messages were exchanged between Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley about the sale, with no mention of Preston. Wright questioned why Varley, who continued using his phone, did nothing to help Preston until his partner returned home, despite Blackpool Victoria Hospital being less than a mile away.
The prosecution alleged that within two hours after the Snapchat video and before McGowan-Fazakerley returned home, Preston was sexually assaulted and smothered. When Preston was pronounced dead 50 minutes after admission to Victoria Hospital, Varley appeared inconsolable, refusing to accept the baby was beyond recovery and blaming himself, claiming he had left Preston unsupervised in the bath.
Evidence of a Cover-Up
Wright described Varley's claims as a 'cover up', noting inconsistencies: Preston did not appear wet, and his hair was dry. The prosecution accused Varley of a 'calculated charade' at the hospital, where CCTV showed him in tartan pyjama bottoms rushing from McGowan-Fazakerley's car carrying Preston. 'We say that was all for show,' Wright stated.
A post-mortem examination by pathologist Dr Alison Armour found Preston died from obstruction of his upper airways. She discovered multiple injuries consistent with non-accidental infliction, including bruises and abrasions to the head, face, mouth, upper limbs, chest, back, and left thigh. Significant internal injuries occurred shortly before death, likely within 'a few hours', and evidence suggested it was 'not the first time the little boy's upper respiratory airways had been obstructed'.
Charges and Denials
In police interviews, both defendants denied any responsibility for Preston's death. Varley maintained his claim that the baby drowned in the bath and denied having a 'sexual motivation' for indecent videos and images of Preston found on his phone and shared with McGowan-Fazakerley. Wright asserted, 'The unlawful act that led to Preston's death was clearly sexual in nature.'
Varley denies murder and 25 other charges, including sexual assaults, GBH against Preston by breaking his elbow, cruelty, and making indecent images of the baby. McGowan-Fazakerley, a sales rep, has pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child, sexually assaulting Preston, and cruelty. The trial continues.
