A video showing 10-month-old Preston Davey joyfully bouncing to a nursery rhyme was released by police as evidence in the trial of his adoptive father, Jamie Varley, 37, who is accused of sexually abusing and murdering the child. The 28-second clip, filmed by Varley on April 10, 2023, just days after Preston came to live with him and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, shows the baby cooing and giggling as characters sing alternative lyrics to the tune of 'Wheels on the Bus.'
Neighbors Testify About Distressed Crying
On the fourth day of the trial at Preston Crown Court, jurors heard from neighbors who lived next door to the couple in Blackpool, Lancashire. Jasmine Nuttall said the walls were thin and she began to hear the baby crying constantly after he arrived. She described the crying as an 'unusual amount' and 'high-pitched and distressed.' Her father, Michael Nuttall, said a one-year-old shouldn't cry as much as that. He added that Varley was the more confident of the two men and 'full of himself.'
Text Messages Reveal Relationship Strain
The court was shown text messages revealing tensions between Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley after Preston moved in. Varley, a former secondary school teacher, took a year off to care for the baby, while his partner returned to work. In a May 15 message, Varley pleaded: 'Can you PLEASE TRY to get home for your son, I am struggling and it's not good here.' On the eve of Preston's first birthday, Varley told McGowan-Fazakerley to 'f*** off' after a flight delay and sent a link about post-partum depression in adoptive parents.
Hospital Visits and Bruises
Jurors heard about Preston's first visit to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on May 25, 2023, when a panicked Varley brought him in, saying he was not breathing. A nurse noticed two bruises on his forehead. Despite referrals to safeguarding and police, social workers found no concerns at the time. Varley later complained to a friend that the hospital had contacted police but said their social worker 'put them straight.'
Prosecution's Case
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, said Preston was a 'happy and healthy' child when placed with the defendants but was 'routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted' over four months. On July 27, 2023, McGowan-Fazakerley returned home to find Varley trying to resuscitate Preston. They drove the baby, in cardiac arrest, to hospital, but he could not be saved. A post-mortem found 40 injuries, including severe bruising to the back of his throat, and concluded he was smothered.
Varley denies murder, sexual assault, assault by penetration, inflicting GBH, four counts of child cruelty, 14 counts of making and taking indecent images, and one count of distributing an indecent image. McGowan-Fazakerley denies causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of child cruelty. The trial continues.
