The partner of a man accused of killing and sexually abusing their adopted baby son admitted in court that he had misplaced his trust in the defendant. John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is facing charges related to the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey, including child cruelty and sexual assault. His partner, Jamie Varley, 37, a high school teacher, is also on trial for murder and multiple offenses against the child. Both defendants deny any sexual interest in the baby and have pleaded not guilty to all accusations at Preston Crown Court.
Preston, a cheerful baby, was adopted by the couple in April 2023. Prosecutors allege that during the four months Preston was in their Blackpool home before being hospitalized on July 27, he was mistreated, subjected to indecent recordings, and sexually and physically abused.
McGowan-Fazakerley, a sales manager, testified that he initially believed Varley’s explanation that Preston had drowned in the bath. However, following their re-arrest and subsequent charges in 2025, he began to question his trust in Varley. Despite being reliant on Varley’s version of events initially, he now feels that his trust was misplaced.
Varley has denied concocting a false account of the bath incident after a post-mortem examination revealed that Preston had sustained 40 injuries, ruling out drowning as the cause of death. McGowan-Fazakerley disclosed in court that Varley had not informed him about a video taken of Preston on the day of the incident, raising suspicions.
The defendants’ legal counsel questioned McGowan-Fazakerley about his evolving understanding of the events leading to Preston’s death, to which he expressed uncertainties and a sense of betrayal by Varley. Confirming that Varley is now his ex-partner, McGowan-Fazakerley and Varley face various charges, including murder, child cruelty, and sexual assault, to which they have pleaded not guilty.