Preston Davey was a perfectly healthy baby when placed in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2023, but died less than four months later at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. Prosecutors said the obstruction was caused by smothering with a hand or fabric or the insertion of an object into his mouth. Jamie Varley denies murder and 25 other charges relating to sexual and physical mistreatment of the baby, while John McGowan-Fazakerley pleaded not guilty to allowing the death of a child and four other offences.
The court heard the child had been routinely ill-treated, sexually abused, and physically assaulted, suffering 40 traumatic injuries. Preston had been admitted to hospital on three previous occasions for breathing difficulties, seizures, nose bleeds, and a fractured elbow. On June 30, 2023, during a hospital visit for an apparent fever, marks on Preston's body were noted, and Varley told medics the baby bruised easily and added that they might think abuse was occurring.
In early July 2023, Varley visited a colleague's house where he appeared nervous and on edge, and the baby's arm was in a plaster cast for a fractured elbow. Varley told his friend he was struggling mentally, worried about the baby not sleeping and not bonding, and disclosed harmful thoughts of drowning or suffocating him but said he would never carry them out. Varley told his friend he had disclosed his thoughts to his employers and social workers involved in the adoption process.