Teacher charged with sex abuse by penetration and murder of adopted baby

A teacher has appeared in court charged with sexually abusing and murdering a 13-month-old baby boy he was adopting. 

Jamie Varley is also accused of multiple counts of assault, cruelty and indecent images all relating to the toddler, Preston Davey. 

The 36-year-old teacher was in the process of adopting Preston along with co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31, who also appeared in court. 

Varley spoke only to confirm his identity during the brief, five-minute hearing at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, June 13. 

He is also accused of one count of manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration of a child, five counts of child cruelty, one count of inflicting grievous bodily harm, and one count of sexual assault of a child. 

He is further accused of 10 counts of taking indecent photographs of a child, one count of distributing indecent photographs of a child, two counts of possessing indecent pseudo images of a child, and one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image. 

District Judge Richard Thompson, addressing Varley, said: “You are charged with a number of offences. The murder of Preston Davey, manslaughter, assault by penetration, a number of sexual assaults, grievous bodily harm and also the possession, taking and distribution of indecent and extreme images. 

“You know what all the charges are and you understand them?” 

Varley nodded in reply. 

He was remanded into custody until he appears before a judge at a crown court on Monday, June 16. 

After he was taken down, his co-accused, McGowan-Fazakerley, was then brought into the dock for a second short hearing. 

He is charged with allowing the death of a child, as well as two counts of child cruelty and one count of sexual assault of a child. 

The defendant, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt patterned with images of owls and half-moons, confirmed his identity and was also remanded into custody. 

All the charges for both men, spanning between March and July of 2023, relate to Preston Davey. 

A police investigation first begun after officers were called to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023, after the baby was brought in unresponsive. 

Preston was declared dead a short time later. 

Varley was suspended as teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool when he was arrested in 2023, the Cidari Multi-Academy Trust which now runs the school said.

Both men, who lived in Grimsargh near Preston, will next appear at Preston Crown Court on Monday.