A teacher accused of murdering his adopted baby son told detectives “one day you guys will be in trouble” as he angrily denied the allegations, a jury at Preston Crown Court has heard.
Jamie Varley, 37, a former high school head of year, vowed to “fight you to the day I die” during a video-recorded police interview played to the court. “I don’t know how to prove it, but you are wrong because I haven’t done it,” he told officers.
Varley is charged with the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey, while his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is accused of allowing the child’s death. Both men deny all charges, which include multiple counts of sexual abuse and cruelty.
Prosecutors allege that during the four months Preston lived with the couple at their home in Blackpool, he was “routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted,” suffering dozens of injuries. The baby had been placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley for adoption in April 2023 after being taken into care by Oldham Council shortly after his birth on June 16, 2022. The adoption process was described as “robust,” with social workers from Oldham Council and Adoption Now supervising the placement.
‘I will fight you to the day I die’
In the interview, Varley was confronted with the findings of Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour, who had examined Preston’s body. When a detective told him the post-mortem showed Preston “just hasn’t drowned” and that there was “no evidence of natural disease,” Varley replied, “No comment.”
Asked about evidence suggesting Preston had been the victim of recent sexual abuse involving “the forcible penetration of his anus” by a penis-shaped object, Varley dismissed the claim as “bullshit.” He gave the same response when questioned about “tear” injuries to Preston’s bottom in an earlier interview.
When the detective put it directly to Varley: “I’m going to suggest you have killed Preston,” the defendant raised his voice. “I have not done it. I will fight you ’til the day I die. I know you are wrong. I have not done it,” he said. Earlier in the interview, he had told officers, “One day you guys will be in trouble.”
Prosecutors have said Varley confided in a colleague about having “dark thoughts” of harming Preston, including thoughts of drowning or suffocating him, though he claimed he would never act on them. Text messages presented in court include one Varley sent to his sister on April 6, 2023, saying: “He’s dead meat today. Didn’t sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours.” Another message to McGowan-Fazakerley read: “Your son’s in hospital. I strangled him. Jokes.”
At the hospital in the aftermath of Preston’s death, Varley was heard saying, “I’m going to hell,” and repeatedly stating, “It’s my fault,” according to evidence played to the jury.
Post-mortem findings at the heart of the case
The prosecution’s case relies heavily on the conclusions of Dr Armour, whose post-mortem examination found that Preston had not drowned, contrary to Varley’s initial account that he had left the baby alone in a bath for three or four minutes and returned to find him submerged.
Dr Armour determined the cause of Preston’s collapse and subsequent death to be an acute upper airway obstruction, either by “a deliberate act of smothering” or “by inserting an object or objects into his mouth.” The pathologist found approximately 40 internal and external injuries on the 13-month-old, including bruises to his forehead, arms, back and legs, as well as injuries to his throat and frenulum. There was no evidence of natural disease to account for his death.
In the police interview, a detective told Varley: “The post-mortem identified no evidence of natural disease to account for the death of baby Preston – how do you explain that?” Varley replied, “No comment.” The detective continued: “Preston lived for one year, one month and 11 days. He was only in your care just less than four months before he was killed.”
Dr Armour’s report also concluded that Preston was the victim of “abusive trauma, non-accidental injuries and sexual abuse,” with injuries suggestive of recent sexual assault. Prosecutors allege that both Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley had a “sexual interest” in Preston and that sexual assaults occurred in the days leading up to his death.
Preston had been admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital three times before his death, including once for a fractured elbow. On the evening of July 27, 2023, the couple rushed the unconscious baby to the same hospital at around 6.20pm. Medics worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at 7.20pm.
Bath video and other evidence
Jurors were shown video footage from Varley’s phone in which Preston was left alone in a bath for more than 14 minutes. Varley told detectives he had set the phone up to record and was on the landing out of sight “to see how he reacts to his own company.”
The officer questioning him said: “How do you explain that, Jamie? He’s slipped, whimpering, I would describe him as distressed. Why not go to comfort him? Have you left him in the bath because you are fed up with him?” Varley replied: “I was keeping an eye on him. He’s not distressed. There was no intent to hurt him.”
He was also asked about intimate videos and photographs of Preston found on his phone, which prosecutors allege are indecent images. Varley told officers they were attempts at “capturing” his child’s life. Angrily, he said: “Unlike you, I don’t think about his genitals 24/7. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s totally innocent, it’s ridiculous. You have got it now as if I’m a bloody pervert. That’s your job I guess.”
Varley faces a total of 26 charges, including 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. He denies all charges.
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, which is expected to last around six weeks, continues at Preston Crown Court.
