{"id":1025,"date":"2026-05-06T14:53:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/teacher-said-im-going-to-hell-while-cradling-baby-he-murdered-court-hears\/"},"modified":"2026-05-06T14:53:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T14:53:19","slug":"teacher-said-im-going-to-hell-while-cradling-baby-he-murdered-court-hears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/teacher-said-im-going-to-hell-while-cradling-baby-he-murdered-court-hears\/","title":{"rendered":"Teacher said &#8216;I&#8217;m going to hell&#8217; while cradling baby he murdered, court hears"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_cd6cce\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey while his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of allowing the death, with both men accused of sexual abuse<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37099877\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jamie Varley\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_jamie-varley.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of murder and sexual abuse\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of murder and sexual abuse<cite aria-label=\"Image: X\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: X)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A teacher accused of the sexual abuse and murder of a baby he adopted said &#8220;I&#8217;m going to hell&#8221; as he cradled the dead child, a court heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jamie Varley, 37, made the comment as he held 13-month-old Preston Davey in the bereavement room at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Footage played to jurors at Preston Crown Court showed Varley in apparent disbelief as he blamed himself for leaving the child in the bath. The defendant claimed he found Preston face down minutes later, but prosecutors argue his account is inconsistent after a post-mortem discovered the baby had 40 injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley was working as a high school teacher at the time of Preston&#8217;s death. He is accused of murdering the child, while his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of allowing the death, with both accused of sexual abuse.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37099878\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37099878\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.26\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Baby Preston Davey the morning after his first sleepover with his adoptive parents Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazackerley\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_Preston-31-3-23-1.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Baby Preston Davey the morning after his first sleepover with his adoptive parents Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazackerley\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Baby Preston Davey the morning after his first sleepover with his adoptive parents Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazackerley<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">During the four months the baby was under their adoption at their home in Blackpool, he was allegedly routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, was sexually abused and physically assaulted.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The couple had rushed Preston to the hospital unconscious after an alleged final sexual assault by Varley at around 6.20pm on July 27 2023. After efforts by medics to resuscitate the child for almost an hour, a decision was made that further intervention was futile and life was pronounced extinct at 7.20pm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jurors were shown the footage as a \u201chysterical\u201d Varley, accompanied by his mother Karen Graham, collapsed onto a floor inside the hospital, as medics asked him to come to the child\u2019s bedside as they could not revive him and resuscitation attempts were to end.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley can be seen saying: \u201cI\u2019m done. It\u2019s my fault. No mum, I can\u2019t get up.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37094673\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37094673\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.46\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Court artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Jamie Varley, 36 (left) sits in the dock at Preston Crown Court where he is accused of the murder and sexual assault of 13-month-old Preston Davey in 2023, whilst in he was in the process of adopting the child along with co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31, (right). Picture date: Monday April 20, 2026.\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_Jamie-Varley-court-case.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Court sketch of Jamie Varley, 36 (left) at Preston Crown Court with co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Court sketch of Jamie Varley, 36 (left) at Preston Crown Court with co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31<cite aria-label=\"Image: Elizabeth Cook\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Elizabeth Cook\/PA Wire)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s my fault. Do not give up on him. This is not happening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s my fault, I left him for literally two minutes. It\u2019s my fault. I left him. Mum!<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI can\u2019t, I can\u2019t, this is not happening. Please kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">More footage was shown of Varley, barefoot and wearing a Jurassic Park t-shirt and tartan pyjama bottoms, outside the hospital entrance, minutes after Preston was declared dead. Pacing back and forth, Varley said: \u201cIt\u2019s not happeneng. He\u2019s not gone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m going to go in there, he\u2019s going to be smiling, he\u2019s going to be laughing. This is not happening. If he\u2019s dead, I can\u2019t live with this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In the footage, Varley was also asked if he wants to go and see Preston, who he had renamed Elijah. He replied: \u201cNo. I don\u2019t deserve to see him. I left him. I can\u2019t, not now please.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37099876\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37099876\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"John McGowan-Fazackerley\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_John-McGowan-Fazakerley.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"John McGowan-Fazackerley\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">John McGowan-Fazackerley<cite aria-label=\"Image: X\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: X)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He continued: \u201cI only left the bathroom to get clothes\u2026 This can\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;He\u2019s got his life ahead of him. I\u2019m not going in, because it\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m a teacher, I\u2019m head of year, I\u2019m child protection trained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cYou don\u2019t leave him in a bath tub. He was in his chair, he was fine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cHe doesn\u2019t deserve me. I should not have left him\u2026<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cHe was giving me cuddles when I put shampoo in his hair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">More video was then shown of events inside the bereavement room with McGowan-Fazakerley and Varley\u2019s mother. He was cajoled to enter the room.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He continued to pace up and down, and said: \u201cI don\u2019t want to be in here. He needs to be warm, keep him warm.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cElijah wake up. He is going to wake up mum. He\u2019s my baby boy. He\u2019s got to wake up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI need to get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-37089744\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37089744\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"20\/04\/2026 - BLACKPOOL - Image of 13-month-old Preston Davey. A former high school teacher sexually assaulted and smothered to death a baby boy he adopted months earlier with his partner, a jury has been told. The court heard Preston Davey, who was pronounced dead at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July 2023, had suffered 40 traumatic injuries over four months. Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of killing the 13-month-old, along with 25 other charges relating to his sexual and physical mistreatment. His partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of causing or allowing the death of the child and four other offences. Both men deny all charges. Preston Crown Court heard that in the final months of his brief life, the child had been routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted.&#10;\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_Adoptive-father-sexually-abused-and-smothered-baby.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Baby Preston was adopted and began living with the defendants in April 2023\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Baby Preston was adopted and began living with the defendants in April 2023<cite aria-label=\"Image: MERSEYSIDE POLICE\/UNPIXS\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: MERSEYSIDE POLICE\/UNPIXS)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The next clip shows Varley outside, where he said: \u201cI tried to go in but my mum wouldn\u2019t let me hold him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The final video showed Varley and his co-accused together at just after 11pm, in the bereavement room.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley is seen cradling the child and McGowan-Fazakerley said: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be the hardest thing\u2026 we\u2019ve got each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley is also told not to blame himself and that the death is a \u201ctragic accident\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley, still cradling the child with his head down, responded: \u201cI probably won\u2019t see you again. I\u2019m definitely going to hell.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His co-accused continued to try to console him and Varley said: \u201cThey\u2019ll be whisking me away for neglect.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Preston was born on June 16 2022, immediately taken into care by Oldham Council, and placed with foster parents at five days old.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">After undergoing an assessment and familiarisation process in early 2023 he was adopted and began living with the defendants on April 1 at their home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley took a year off work as head of year and as a design and technology teacher at a local high school, South Shore Academy, to look after the child, but struggled as a new parent with a baby who frequently woke during the night, the court has heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The trial was adjourned until Thursday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/teacher-said-im-going-hell-37118896\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jamie Varley, 37, is accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey while his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crime"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778079199_1_jamie-varley.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}