Teacher's 'Dark Thoughts' Toward Adopted Baby Revealed in Murder Trial
A secondary school teacher accused of murdering a 13-month-old baby boy he was in the process of adopting had previously confessed to having "dark thoughts" about harming the child, Preston Crown Court has heard during a harrowing trial. The court was told that Jamie Varley, 37, disclosed to a colleague that he had thoughts of drowning or suffocating the infant, though he claimed he would never act on them.
Healthy Baby Placed in Care, Died Four Months Later
Preston Davey was described as "a perfectly healthy" baby when he was placed in the care of Varley and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, at their home in Blackpool in April 2023. Less than four months later, in July 2023, the child was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he died from an acute obstruction of his upper airway. Prosecutors allege this obstruction was caused by smothering with a hand or fabric, or the insertion of an object into his mouth.
The court heard that Preston had suffered 40 traumatic injuries and had been routinely ill-treated, sexually abused, and physically assaulted during his short life. Varley denies murder along with 25 other charges relating to sexual and physical mistreatment of the baby. McGowan-Fazakerley has pleaded not guilty to allowing the death of a child and four other offences.
Varley's Disturbing Confessions and Lack of Action
In early July 2023, Varley visited a colleague's house where he appeared "nervous and on edge." At the time, the baby's arm was in a plaster cast for a fractured elbow. Shortly after arriving, McGowan-Fazakerley turned up and took Preston—who the couple had renamed Elijah—away. Varley then told his friend he was struggling mentally.
Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, stated: "He was worried about 'Elijah' in respect of his not sleeping and that he was not 'bonding' with him as he had hoped. He disclosed to her that he had harmful thoughts towards Elijah and had thoughts of drowning him or suffocating him but that he would never carry them out." The witness tried to reassure him that such thoughts were capable of rational explanation and that sometimes as a parent you have thoughts of 'worst-case scenarios.'"
Varley told her he had disclosed his thoughts to his employers and social workers involved in the adoption process. Mr Wright added: "She dismissed the exchange from her thoughts until it was discovered that Preston had died. Later she revealed it to the police."
Prosecution Questions Motives and Timeline
Mr Wright questioned why Varley would share such dark thoughts with a former work colleague but not with his partner, who shared the care of Preston. "Varley does not appear to have been keeping such dark thoughts to himself. Why, we ask rhetorically, would he keep such thoughts from the person with whom he shared the care of Preston and yet disclose them to a former work colleague if what he was seeking to do was to unburden himself?"
The court heard that Preston had been admitted to hospital on three previous occasions for breathing difficulties, seizures, nose bleeds, and the fractured elbow. On one visit, on June 30, 2023, for an apparent fever, marks on his body were noted. Varley told medics the baby "bruised easily," adding: "You lot are going to think we have been abusing him or something."
Final Hours and Medical Evidence
On July 27, 2023, McGowan-Fazakerley headed to work in Manchester after he and Varley had met a mortgage broker. Varley then went to visit his mother with Preston, where images show the baby in apparent good health. Prosecutors say that afternoon, after returning home, Varley filmed a 35-second video on his phone where he appears to be struggling for breath.
Mr Wright said: "When viewed by a Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine sometime later, he concluded that Preston appeared to have been captured on it while recovering from an episode in which he had not been breathing. To his trained eye, Preston bore signs of respiratory failure. The child's lips bore what are to him the tell-tale signs of cyanosis—a bluish hue caused by respiratory failure."
He noted that Varley didn't call anyone, including McGowan-Fazakerley, about this or attempt to seek medical help, adding: "He seems to have kept it to himself." Such was his lack of concern for Preston's wellbeing that he was looking on his phone into selling a kayak owned by his partner.
Mr Wright continued: "Less than two hours later, Preston was brought to the Hospital in a collapsed state and with obvious injuries. It is the prosecution case that during the intervening period of time between the recording of Preston in an obvious state of respiratory distress and his being brought to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by his adoptive parents, Preston had been further sexually assaulted by Varley and smothered to death by him by the intentional obstruction of his upper airways."
Contradictory Accounts and Forensic Findings
At the hospital, Varley told doctors he had left Preston in a bath seat while he went to get changed and when he returned found him drowning. He said on finding Preston he tried to revive him. The baby appeared to respond, but as McGowan-Fazakerley returned home, Preston's condition deteriorated, and they rushed him to hospital by car.
Mr Wright said: "As to how, what or who had caused Preston's terrible internal injuries and terminal collapse, we say Varley chose to say nothing, or to lie." He added: "Varley appeared to be inconsolable; refusing to accept that 'Elijah' was beyond recovery and blaming himself for having left Preston albeit briefly alone unsupervised and in the bath. Some things however didn't seem to add up. Preston did not appear wet. His hair was dry."
The court heard that examination revealed there appeared to be no trauma to the lungs ordinarily expected in a case of drowning. Mr Wright stated: "Varley maintained an account that purported to accept responsibility for the inadvertent exposure of Preston to harm by leaving him unattended in the bath and that it was 'all my fault.' This account was, we say, a cover-up designed by him to deflect the authorities from what had really happened."
Pathologist Dr Alison Armour found multiple injuries both externally and internally that were consistent with non-accidental infliction. She concluded that internal injuries were caused shortly before death and probably a few hours prior to death. The trial continues.
