Horror and revulsion are caused by the details coming to light from yet another case of sexual abuse and physical violence against a baby just 13 months old in Britain by gay parents.

The abuse was carried out by a 37-year-old teacher who, together with his 32-year-old partner, had applied to adopt the unfortunate child.

Specifically, as the Mirror reports, very serious allegations are being made public during the trial of the two men at a court in Preston.

According to the prosecution, the 37-year-old educator is alleged to have sexually abused 13-month-old Preston Davey shortly before his death and then recorded it on video while the baby was lying in bed, showing clear signs that he had stopped breathing.

They deny the charges

As the report states, Jamie Varley is charged with the murder of the child, as well as 25 other counts involving sexual and physical abuse.

Sitting beside him in the dock is his partner, 32-year-old John McGowan-Fazakerley, who is accused of causing or allowing the death of the child, as well as four further offences. Both men deny all the charges.

The prosecutor told the court that on the day the young Preston died, and shortly before his death, Varley is alleged to have caused serious internal injuries to the baby through sexual abuse and then failed to seek medical help, thereby further worsening the child’s condition.

As heard in court, when Varley’s mobile phone was seized, a video recorded on the same day was discovered.

In it, young Preston is seen lying in bed, exhibiting obvious physical signs of respiratory arrest, with his lips having turned blue.

The prosecution maintains that the defendant did nothing to help the child and simply continued filming.

The prosecution further stated that Preston’s short life had been marked by serious difficulties from birth, as he had been placed in emergency foster care.

Nevertheless, before being transferred to the defendants in April 2023 for the adoption process to proceed, the child was described as “an absolutely healthy boy.”

He was taken to hospital three times

However, during the almost four months that followed, Preston was taken to hospital three times with injuries before he ultimately lost his life on 27 July 2023.

Addressing the jury – six women and six men – the prosecutor emphasized: “This is inevitably a case with intense emotional charge.

It is a terrible case because it concerns the death of a very young child.

It is inevitable that it will provoke strong emotions in anyone who hears the details.”

In the courtroom, Varley appeared wearing a cream suit, a white shirt with an open collar, and shoulder-length hair with blonde highlights.

He sat next to his co-defendant, who was wearing a green top and jeans.

The two men were seated a short distance from Preston’s biological mother, who was following the proceedings from the public gallery.

Little Preston was born on 16 June 2022.

In April 2023, at the age of nine months, he was placed in the home of the defendants on Steyning Road in Blackpool so that his adoption could proceed.

Less than four months later, at approximately 18:30 on 27 July 2023, the defendants took the child to the Accident and Emergency Department of Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

According to the prosecutor, the child was unconscious and in cardiac arrest.

Doctors attempted to revive him, but his death was pronounced less than an hour later.

The post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was acute upper airway obstruction, either from asphyxial pressure – probably with a hand or soft fabric – or from the insertion of an object or objects into the child’s mouth.

“A very dark reality was revealed”

The prosecutor said characteristically: “As horrific as it is, this tragedy was not the result of some terrible but unforeseeable accident or natural event. The evidence gathered during the investigation into his premature death revealed a much darker reality.”

He added: “We submit that the evidence proves he was murdered by one of the people entrusted with his care and wellbeing – by one of his prospective adoptive parents. We submit that the person responsible for Preston Davey’s death was the defendant Jamie Varley. But that was not the only tragic event that happened to him while in the care of these defendants. In the final months of his short life, we say he suffered systematic ill-treatment, sexual abuse, and physical assaults.”

The post-mortem also showed that the child had sustained approximately 40 injuries during the four months he was in their care.

These included 30 external bruises, a fracture to the upper part of his left arm, as well as internal injuries to the mouth, throat, and other parts of the body.

According to the prosecution, Varley is alleged to have had primary responsibility, but evidence collected by police implicates both men in acts of sexual abuse.

McGowan-Fazakerley also faces the charge that he failed to protect the child.

He sexually abused him

As argued in court, on the day of the child’s death and at the time or shortly before the final fatal assault, Varley was alone at home with the baby while his co-defendant was at work.

During that period, he is alleged to have sexually abused the child, causing him internal injuries.

After Varley’s arrest and the seizure of his mobile phone, the video he had taken earlier that day was found.

In it, the child appeared to show obvious signs of respiratory arrest.

However, according to the prosecution, the defendant made no attempt to revive him nor did he immediately seek medical help.

Only later did the two defendants take Preston to the hospital, but by then it was too late to save him.

Although McGowan-Fazakerley was at work when, according to the charge, Varley caused the fatal injury, the prosecution maintains that he shared responsibility for the child’s care, was in daily contact with him, and had a duty to know what was happening and to protect him.

The prosecutor further argued that he was not only aware of the abuse but also participated in it himself.

At the same time, he warned the jurors to “arm themselves with composure” ahead of the showing of images of the child on screen – images that, it was stated, were taken after he had been sexually abused.

The archive of horror

According to the prosecution, Varley had also taken other photographs and videos of the abuse, which were not “happy family moments” but indecent images.

The prosecutor noted that, despite the image of a happy and stable couple that the defendants may have projected, the reality, as the prosecution claims, was far from that.

Varley denies the charges of murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of child cruelty, causing grievous bodily harm, sexual abuse of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photographs or videos of a child, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child to his co-defendant, and one count of making an indecent image.

For his part, McGowan-Fazakerley denies the charge of allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty, and one count of sexual abuse of a child.

The trial was adjourned and will continue on Tuesday morning.