A teacher accused of murdering a baby he was adopting with his partner has denied killing the infant and told a jury that 'our son has never been sexually abused'.
Jamie Varley, 37, began giving evidence in his trial at Preston Crown Court this morning. He is accused of sexually abusing and murdering Preston Davey on July 27, 2023.
A post-mortem examination found the 13-month-old died from being smothered and had injuries consistent with a serious sexual assault, jurors have been told.
Varley was asked by his barrister, Nicholas Johnson KC: 'Did you kill Preston Davey by blocking his airways?' The teacher, dressed in a dark suit, light blue shirt and tie, replied: 'No, I did not'.
Asked whether he molested Preston, he answered: 'Absolutely not. Our son has never, ever been sexually abused'. Mr Johnson then challenged Varley whether he had 'wilfully' committed physical or psychological harm against Preston, but Varley again said: 'No, I did not'.
Jamie Varley, 37, denies murder, sexual assault, cruelty and making indecent images. He added that he had no previous convictions, 'not even a parking ticket'.
Varley told the court that allegedly indecent video and photographs taken of Preston naked and on a playmat, and in the bath with him, were 'innocent' but that he now understands them 'not to be appropriate'. He said: 'I can see a different view in hindsight. Although I was being silly, it wasn't something I would have accepted prior to having a little boy. To this day, I can look back and say, I can understand that… I just got carried away in the moment. He was my son, why not, he's safe, he's with me.'
Varley described some of the videos as 'silly' moments to show Preston and 'laugh' about when he was older. He added: 'I look back now and I understand it not to be appropriate but it was all good intentions.'
Varley said he took videos and pictures of Preston 'all the time' and had 'hundreds, into the thousands'. He added that only a 'very small proportion' were of the baby with no clothes on.
Mr Johnson asked Varley about messages sent to friends which showed he was struggling to cope with Preston's sleeping patterns within days – and in one text told his sister Sarah Dunn: 'He's dead meat'. He confessed to friend Carly Wilson that Preston was 'very needy and screams all the time like he's being killed'.
Varley defended his language saying: 'It's just language I use. It's an aspect of my personality, being dramatic. I am in social circles, quite dramatic, sassy. I use words I don't put emotions to. I just throw words about.'
Asked if he was having second thoughts about adopting Preston with his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, Varley replied: 'Absolutely not, do.'
Varley also defended leaving Preston to play without his nappy, saying it was something his foster carer Sandra Cooper did, after bathtime and before bed, calling it 'Free Willy time'. Varley said the foster carer of 25 years had told him: 'It's something I do with all my children, it's good for them'. Varley said: 'I remember us joking and laughing about it, more so John because Free Willy The Movie is one of his favourite films.'
The court heard Varley met McGowan-Fazakerley for the first time in 2018 and he 'practically moved in straight away'. Varley, who is dyslexic and the court heard struggled to qualify as a teacher, described his boyfriend as the 'first person who understood me'.
The couple decided to become parents soon after and 'settled on the adoption process', Varley said. It began in December 2021 but Varley paused after the first stage so the teacher, head of year at a secondary school in Blackpool, could take his year group through Year 11 to their GCSEs. The process resumed in September 2022, with the couple approved for adoption in January 2023 and as prospective parents for Preston in March 2023.
The court was shown how the couple decorated a room for Preston at their home in Blackpool, with a mural Varley had painted on the wall behind the cot, a sheepskin rug and chandelier. Varley said he and McGowan-Fazakerley held a 'chosen shower' party at their home for friends and he stencilled 'Preston Elijah' – including the second name the couple gave him – on a wall.
When Preston was given to the couple on the first day on March 31, 2023, the court heard Mrs Cooper stayed in a nearby hotel for the first night in case she was needed. Initial messages from Varley to friends included him telling how Preston had taken to the couple's miniature pinscher dog, Max. He wrote: 'Preston loves him. Max is like, who's this little intruder'.
Varley filmed a video that day, set to the 1990s' Baby Bird song 'You're Gorgeous'. He described happy family time at the couple's home, with him regularly playing music and dancing with Preston, and holding 'dancing Friday' where they would laugh and play.
But Varley said Preston would bruise himself, such as when playing fidget spinners stuck to glass doors with suction pads. When Preston had a seizure on May 25, 2023, Mr Johnson asked why a recording of a 999 call made by McGowan-Fazakerley recorded him telling his partner to 'put the phone down'. Varley said: 'It was because it was not an emergency'. He said he felt they should call 111.
After taking Preston to hospital, he said he was told: 'It's totally normal for children to have seizures and he might never have one again'. Varley said: 'They told me a seizure was not normal if it lasted over five mins but they would not investigate until he had eight.'
The court heard Varley was contacted on June 1 by his social worker because hospital staff had reported finding bruises on Preston during his admission. But Varley denied bruising him. Mr Johnson asked: 'Did you ever bruise Preston deliberately, did you ever delete or hide photographs of bruising?' 'No I did not', the teacher replied.
Varley admitted he 'could have been more gentle' when taking Preston to a park and pushing him 'quite high' on a swing. He said: 'It wasn't intended to cause distress or harm'.
Varley denies charges of murder, manslaughter, indecent assault, GBH by breaking Preston's elbow, cruelty and making and sharing indecent images. McGowan-Fazakerley, a sales rep, denies causing or allowing the death of a child, indecent assault and cruelty. The trial continues.
