Trial opens in toddler abuse death case

A 13-month-old boy died in hospital after suffering what prosecutors described as a campaign of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his prospective adoptive parents, a court heard during the opening of their trial.

Preston Davey was brought to Blackpool Victoria Hospital unconscious and in cardiac arrest by Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley around 6:30 p.m. on July 27, 2023. Medical staff attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at 7:18 p.m. A postmortem examination determined the cause of death as acute upper airways obstruction, likely resulting from smothering with a hand or soft fabric, or the insertion of an object into his mouth.

Prosecutor Peter Wright KC told jurors at Preston Crown Court that the death was not an accident but the result of deliberate actions by Varley, 37, a teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool. On the day of the incident, with McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, a salesman, at work, Varley allegedly sexually assaulted Preston, causing serious internal injuries. Police later recovered footage from Varley's phone showing the child lying on a bed, displaying signs of respiratory arrest with blue lips. According to the prosecution,...