{"id":3044,"date":"2026-05-21T19:50:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T19:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/teacher-denies-murdering-and-sexually-abusing-baby-but-says-he-is-ashamed\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T19:50:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T19:50:07","slug":"teacher-denies-murdering-and-sexually-abusing-baby-but-says-he-is-ashamed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/teacher-denies-murdering-and-sexually-abusing-baby-but-says-he-is-ashamed\/","title":{"rendered":"Teacher denies murdering and sexually abusing baby but says he is &#8216;ashamed&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_1c1e1b\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerly, 32, face a string of charges following baby Preston&#8217;s death in July 2023<\/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=\"37089723\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"13-month-old Preston Dave\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/3_Jamie-Varley-court-case.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"13-month-old Preston Dave\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">13-month-old Preston Dave<cite aria-label=\"Image: Lancashire Police\/PA Wire\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Lancashire Police\/PA Wire)<\/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 murder of an adopted baby told a jury he never hurt or sexually abused the child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Jamie Varley, 37, became emotional at times during his evidence from the witness box as he denied the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey. He denied taking photos or videos as \u201ctrophies\u201d of sexual abuse but said he felt \u201cdisappointed\u201d and \u201creally ashamed\u201d at some images he had taken on his phone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley is alleged to have routinely sexually, physically and emotionally abused the baby he had adopted with his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, Preston Crown Court has heard. Both men deny all charges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">In the fourth week of the trial, Varley gave evidence in his own defence for the first time, his voice sometimes breaking with emotion as videos and photos of the baby were shown on screens in the courtroom.<\/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-37089734\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37089734\" 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=\"Jamie Varley is accused of murder\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_Jamie-Varley-pic-1.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Jamie Varley is accused of murder\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Jamie Varley is accused of murder<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\">Nick Johnson KC, defending Varley, began his questions by asking him: \u201cOn the 27th of July 2023, did you kill Preston Davey by deliberately blocking his airway?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cNo, I did not,\u201d Varley replied. Mr Johnson continued: \u201cDid you sexually assault that child in any way?&#8230; Did you ever wilfully harm Preston physically or psychologically?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley replied: \u201cAbsolutely not, our son has never been sexually abused. No.\u201d Jurors heard, after undergoing an assessment and familiarisation process, Preston was adopted and began living with the defendants at their home in Blackpool on April 1 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But it is alleged in the next four months before his death he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and was sexually abused and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries found at post mortem.<\/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-37120093\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37120093\" 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\/2_Preston-31-3-23-1.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Preston died in 2023\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Preston died in 2023<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The court heard Varley, who said he has severe dyslexia, became a design and technology teacher and head of year at a local high school before meeting his partner. He said: \u201cI had always thought about having kids, I wanted to be a teacher, a daddy, just never thought it was possible once I realised I was a gay man.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cJohn was everything I had ever asked for in a relationship&#8230; My whole life just changed when I met John.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley said the \u201cearly stages\u201d of adoption was an \u201ceye opener\u201d and that Preston was not a good sleeper or in a routine. He added: \u201cIt was challenging in the sense it was new to us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI felt because I had more experience than John, I felt it was going to be a breeze, but it wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley was asked to explain a text he sent to his sister about Preston, saying: \u201cHe\u2019s dead meat\u201d after a sleepless night. Varley said: \u201cIt was just language that I use. In social settings I\u2019m dramatic. Sassy. I just easily throw words about.\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-37163054\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37163054\" 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-Fazakerley\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779393007_120_1_John-McGowan-Fazakerley.jpg\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"John McGowan-Fazakerley\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">John McGowan-Fazakerley<cite aria-label=\"Image: LancsLive\/MEN\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: LancsLive\/MEN)<\/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 defendant told jurors he had bonded with the baby better than he expected, as he did not think he could love anything more than his dog, Max, but his love for Preston exceeded that for his pet. He added: \u201cWhen we got the little one, it was special, it was quick, it was strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Johnson then asked Varley about photos of bruises on Preston, who appeared to have a \u201ccluster\u201d of bruises on his forehead, which child sex abuse expert, Dr Joanne Gifford, had described as a \u201cred flag\u201d for signs of abuse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley said the baby, who was learning to crawl, would often bang his head and daily have little mishaps but denied ever deliberately bruising the child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Johnson asked about a photo of Preston playing naked in a paddling pool which Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour said showed a shaded mark on the child\u2019s bottom which resembled a human bite mark.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Johnson said: \u201cDid you ever bite Preston\u2019s bottom?&#8230; What do you say to the suggestion you bit him and took a photo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley replied: \u201cAbsolutely not&#8230; Could not be more wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mr Johnson asked Varley about a series of photos on Varley\u2019s phone of Preston in his cot, along with two toy teddy bears, four days before his death in July 2023. The images stretch over a period of three minutes and 12 seconds, with the child\u2019s head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot and his neck resting on the bar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">His body is apparently partially suspended, his legs in a \u201cfrog like\u201d position and the child seemingly asleep or unconscious, described to the jury earlier as a \u201cvery unsafe\u201d and \u201cdangerous\u201d position.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley said the baby had gone to sleep before in \u201cfunny positions\u201d and had done so again so he took photos. Mr Johnson said: \u201cWere these trophies of a sexual encounter?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cNo they were not, no,\u201d Varley replied. He added: \u201cI did not even recognise at the moment, it was inappropriate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m disappointed. I feel shamed. I feel really ashamed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI did not mean to cause any distress, any harm in that moment, I felt he was safe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI just wanted to capture him, all of his life.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI just wanted to capture every part of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Four days later Preston was rushed to hospital on July 27 2023, having suffered a collapse and cardiac arrest, allegedly following a sexual assault by Varley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Varley told police he had briefly left the child in the bath and when he returned he was off his bath seat and submerged. But a post-mortem examination ruled out drowning and found multiple non-accidental, internal and external injuries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Preston\u2019s cause of death was found to be acute upper airways obstruction by either smothering or an object or objects inserted into his mouth. The jury has heard some injuries to Preston were possibly caused by \u201cforcible penetration\u201d and parts of his anatomy \u201cabnormal\u201d with his injuries clinical signs of sexual abuse.<\/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 Friday morning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/news\/uk-news\/preston-davey-murder-trial-baby-37189913\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerly, 32, face a string of charges following baby Preston&#8217;s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3045,"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-3044","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\/1779393007_3_Jamie-Varley-court-case.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3044","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=3044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3044\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}