Teacher accused of murdering adopted son says baby was never harmed or abused

A teacher accused of murdering his adopted son told a jury he never hurt or sexually abused the child.

Jamie Varley’s voice cracked with emotion at times as he gave evidence from the witness box about the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey in July 2023.

He denied taking indecent photos of the tot as ‘trophies’ or ‘mementos’ of sexual assaults but admitted feeling ‘really ashamed’ and ‘disappointed’ at some of the images he had taken on his phone.

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.

Moments after stepping into the witness box, his barrister Nick Johnson KC began his questions by asking: ‘On July 27, 2023, did you kill Preston Davey by deliberately blocking his airway?

‘No, I did not,’ Varley replied.

Mr Johnson continued: ‘Did you sexually assault that child in any way?

‘Did you ever wilfully harm Preston physically or psychologically?’

Varley replied: ‘Absolutely not, our son has never been sexually abused. No.’

After undergoing an assessment and familiarisation process, Preston was adopted and began living with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley at their home in Blackpool on April 1, 2023, jurors have heard.

But it is alleged in the next four months 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.

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: ‘I 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.

‘John was everything I had ever asked for in a relationship.

‘My whole life just changed when I met John.’

Varley said the ‘early stages’ of adoption was an ‘eye opener’ and that Preston was not a good sleeper or in a routine.

He added: ‘It was challenging in the sense it was new to us.

‘I felt because I had more experience than John, I felt it was going to be a breeze, but it wasn’t.’

Varley was asked to explain a text he sent to his sister about Preston, saying: ‘He’s dead meat’ after a sleepless night.

Varley said: ‘It was just language that I use. In social settings I’m dramatic. Sassy. I just easily throw words about.’

He 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.

Varley added: ‘When we got the little one, it was special, it was quick, it was strong.’

Mr Johnson then asked Varley about photos of bruises on Preston, who appeared to have a ‘cluster’ of bruises on his forehead, which child sex abuse expert, Dr Joanne Gifford, had described as a ‘red flag’ for signs of abuse.

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.

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’s bottom which resembled a human bite mark.

Mr Johnson said: ‘Did you ever bite Preston’s bottom?

‘What do you say to the suggestion you bit him and took a photo?’

Varley replied: ‘Absolutely not. Could not be more wrong.’

Mr Johnson asked Varley about a series of photos on his 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’s head and arms over the top horizontal bar of his cot and his neck resting on the bar.

His body is apparently partially suspended, his legs in a ‘frog like’ position and the child seemingly asleep or unconscious, described to the jury earlier as a ‘very unsafe’ and ‘dangerous’ position.

Varley said the baby had gone to sleep before in ‘funny positions’ and had done so again so he ‘snapped away’.

Mr Johnson said: ‘Were these trophies of a sexual encounter?’

‘No they were not, no,’ Varley replied.

He added: ‘I did not even recognize at the moment, it was inappropriate.

‘I’m disappointed. I feel shamed. I feel really ashamed.

‘I did not mean to cause any distress, any harm in that moment, I felt he was safe.

‘I just wanted to capture him, all of his life.

‘I just wanted to capture every part of his life.’

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.

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.

Preston’s 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 ‘forcible penetration’ and parts of his anatomy ‘abnormal’ with his injuries clinical signs of sexual abuse.

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.

McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.

The trial continues on Friday.

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