A teacher facing charges of murdering a baby reportedly made a statement saying “I f***ing killed him” while medical staff were trying to resuscitate the child in a hospital emergency room, a court was told.
Jamie Varley, aged 37, is accused of the murder and sexual abuse of 13-month-old Preston Davey, whom he and his partner, John McGowan-Fazackerley, 32, were in the process of adopting. Prosecutors claim Preston sustained 40 injuries over a four-month period while under the care of the couple, leading to his death at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July 2023.
Both men, residents of Grimsargh, Preston, are currently on trial at Preston Crown Court facing multiple charges related to the baby. McGowan-Fazackerley is accused of being complicit in the child’s death. They have pleaded not guilty to all allegations.
During the sixth day of the trial on Tuesday, the jury heard testimony from medical professionals. Dr. Wendy Aubrey, an anaesthetist involved in Preston’s care, recounted how she responded to an emergency call in the hospital’s A&E department and found the baby undergoing treatment on a trolley upon her arrival.
She mentioned that both parents entered the room while resuscitation efforts were ongoing, a standard practice to reassure parents that every possible action is being taken. Dr. Aubrey described Varley as highly emotional and agitated, in contrast to McGowan-Fazackerley who appeared calmer and subdued.
Varley was reportedly demanding that resuscitation efforts continue, expressing, “don’t let him die,” before eventually uttering the words: “I f***ing killed him.” When it was determined that Preston could not be saved, Varley attempted to perform CPR himself despite being instructed to stop by Dr. Aubrey.
Nurse Rosanna Briggs informed the court that she took a statement from the family regarding the events leading to Preston’s condition. Varley allegedly left the child unattended in a bath seat, returning to find him in distress. However, medical findings indicated no water in Preston’s lungs, suggesting a different sequence of events than what was reported.
Another healthcare assistant described Varley as disruptive during the resuscitation, repeatedly trying to reach the child while making statements like “all my fault” and emphasizing his credentials in child protection, which seemed out of place given the circumstances.
Varley denies charges including murder, manslaughter, assault, child cruelty, and various other offenses related to the case. McGowan-Fazakerley also denies multiple charges, including child cruelty and sexual assault. The trial is ongoing.
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