UK: Gay Man Charged with Sex Assault and Murder of Baby Boy

A man has been charged with murdering a 13-month-old boy, as well as serious sexual and child cruelty offences.

Teacher Jamie Varley is accused of killing Preston Davey, who died in Blackpool in July 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

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

The defendant, wearing a beige polo shirt with collar-length dark hair with blond streaks, 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.

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 began after officers were called to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023 after the baby was brought in unresponsive. Preston was pronounced 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.