Former teacher denies murder and sexual assault of baby boy
A former high school teacher has denied the murder and sexual assault of a boy.
Jamie Varley, 36, appeared at Preston Crown Court via video link from the city prison and pleaded “not guilty” to 33 charges relating to 13-month-old Preston Davey.
He was in the process of adopting Preston with co-defendant John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, who denied all four charges and attended the same hearing via video link from HMP Durham. Both men spoke only to confirm their identities and deny the accusations.
Preston’s mother sat in the courtroom’s public gallery, crying as the charges were read.
Judge Robert Altham, Honorary Recorder of Preston, said: “I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Preston’s mother to hear this. I’m sorry but this has to be done.”
Varley denies Preston’s murder on July 27, 2023, and denies manslaughter.
He also pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty and one count of causing grievous bodily harm.
He also denies 12 counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child, two counts of taking an indecent photograph of a child and distributing an indecent photograph of a child.
All of the charges, which include still images and videos, relate to Preston Davey and are alleged to have occurred between March and July 2023.
He also denies possessing extreme pornography on seven occasions between 2017 and July 2023.
Varley is also accused, along with McGowan-Fazakerley, of sexual assault on Preston Davey, which he denies.
The other defendants pleaded not guilty to the same crime and also pleaded not guilty to two counts of cruelty and one count of allowing the death of a child.
The 45-minute hearing on Monday largely concerned administrative matters that could not be reported ahead of the hearing scheduled for April next year.
Judge Altham remanded both men, of Grimsargh, near Preston, in custody ahead of a pre-trial hearing on January 30, 2026.
The police investigation first began at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023, when officers were called to Blackpool Victoria Hospital after the baby was brought to hospital unresponsive.
Preston was pronounced dead a short time later.
The Cidari Multi Academy Trust, which now runs the school, said Varley was suspended from his teaching position at South Shore Academy in Blackpool when he was arrested in 2023.
