Blackpool teacher denies using adopted baby boy as 'plaything' in murder trial

A teacher accused of the murder and sexual abuse of an adopted baby boy has denied using him as a "plaything" for his "own amusement and gratification". Jamie Varley, 37, allegedly subjected Preston Davey, aged 13 months, to repeated sexual, physical and emotional abuse after adopting him alongside his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley. Preston, previously described as a happy, healthy and "bubbly" child, moved into the defendants' Blackpool, Lancashire home on April 1, 2023, Preston Crown Court has heard. Prosecutors allege that during the four months leading up to his death on July 27, the infant was routinely mistreated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and endured sexual and physical abuse, with post-mortem examination revealing 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 said: "And you routinely abused him." Varley repeated: "You are wrong." Mr Wright said: "For your own amusement and gratification. "Incorrect," said Varley. The prosecutor continued: "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 responded: "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 informed police he had momentarily left the child in the bath and upon his return discovered him off his bath seat and submerged. However, a post-mortem examination ruled out drowning and identified multiple non-accidental, internal and external injuries. The cause of Preston's death was determined to be acute upper airways obstruction by either smothering or an object or objects inserted into his mouth. Parts of his anatomy were described as "abnormal", with some injuries consistent with "forcible penetration" and clinical signs of sexual abuse. Varley stated he had never sexually assaulted Preston and he denied Mr Wright's 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." He 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 said: "That's incorrect." The prosecutor said: "You thought you would be able to cover it up as a drowning." Varley said: "I would be more intelligent, sir, if that was the case. I genuinely thought he had drowned." Putting it to Varley that there were multiple inconsistencies in the accounts he provided at the hospital and to police officers, Mr Wright said: "You have been making it up from the start to the end, haven't you?" Varley said: "I would say it was a very traumatic day, sir. "It was the worst day of our lives. I could hardly speak that day. I was all over." Mr Wright said: "I am going to suggest that when you got to the hospital your apparent state of distress was a complete charade." Varley replied: "That's not true." Mr Wright said: "And your inability then to be able to settle and answer questions was because you were working overtime to come up with an explanation for what you had done to him? "That is not true," said Varley. Mr Wright said: "Buying time to try to think of a way out." Varley said: "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 of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo. McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child. Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source.