Jamie Varley, a 37-year-old teacher, has denied using his adopted baby son as a "plaything" for his "own amusement and gratification" during his murder trial at Preston Crown Court. Varley is accused of the murder and sexual abuse of 13-month-old Preston Davey, whom he adopted alongside his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley.
The Crown alleges that during the four months leading up to Preston's death on July 27, 2023, the infant was routinely mistreated. He was allegedly subjected to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, with indecent images and videos taken of him. A post-mortem examination revealed 40 traumatic injuries.
During cross-examination on Wednesday, prosecutor Peter Wright KC put it to Varley: "This little boy was your plaything, wasn't he?" Varley replied: "You are wrong." Mr Wright continued: "And you routinely abused him." Varley repeated: "You are wrong." When asked if the abuse was "for your own amusement and gratification," Varley responded: "Incorrect."
The prosecutor then stated: "All of this in a space of less than four months. It went from him coming into your home and leaving it dead, didn't it?" The defendant said: "He did pass away in our care, yes."
Preston was rushed to hospital following a collapse and cardiac arrest, allegedly triggered by a sexual assault carried out by Varley. Varley told police he had momentarily left the child in the bath and upon his return he was off his bath seat and submerged. However, a post-mortem examination ruled out drowning and discovered multiple non-accidental internal and external injuries. The cause of death was determined to be acute upper airways obstruction by either smothering or an object or objects inserted into his mouth.
Parts of Preston's anatomy were described as "abnormal," with some injuries consistent with "forcible penetration" and clinical signs of sexual abuse. Varley denied ever sexually assaulting Preston and rejected the suggestion that he had blocked Preston's airways more than once.
Mr Wright said: "And on the day he died such was the obstruction of his upper airways, caused by you, that he perished. You killed him." Varley said: "I have not." The prosecutor then accused the defendant of providing a "wholly false account" about discovering him in the bath and fearing he had drowned. Mr Wright said: "I am going to suggest this is all rehearsed. It is all made up by you to conceal what you really did." Varley replied: "That's incorrect."
Mr Wright further suggested that Varley's apparent distress at the hospital was a "complete charade" and that he was "working overtime to come up with an explanation for what you had done to him." Varley insisted this was not true. When asked if he was "buying time to try to think of a way out," Varley firmly replied: "That's not correct."
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 count of distributing an indecent photo of a child to his co-accused, and one count of making an indecent photo. McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty, and one count of sexual assault of a child. The trial continues.
