Preston Davey: South Shore Academy teacher accused of murdering baby has trial date set at Preston Crown Court
The trial of two Lancashire men charged in relation to the death of a 13-month-old baby boy they were trying to adopt will take place in April 2026.
Lancashire Police were called to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023, to a report that a baby boy had been brought into the hospital unresponsive.
Very sadly, the baby boy, named as 13-month-old Preston Davey, was pronounced deceased a short time later.
Jamie Varley, 36, and John McGowan-Fazakerly, 31, appeared at Preston Crown Court today.
South Shore Academy teacher Varley, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, formerly of Normoss, has been charged with the murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey.
He is also charged with two counts of sexual assault of a male child under 13, inflicting grievous bodily harm, five counts of cruelty to a person under 16, 10 counts of taking indecent images of a child, two counts of possessing indecent images of a child, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child, and one count of possessing an extreme image.
McGowan-Fazakerley, also of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, has been charged with: causing and allowing the death of a child; two counts of cruelty to a person under 16; and sexual assault of a male child under 13.
They both appeared at Preston Crown Court for the first time today. The charges were not put to them during the 30-minute hearing and they were not asked to enter pleas.
Varley, wearing a polo shirt and jeans, and McGowan-Fazakerley, wearing a T-shirt and jeans, spoke only to acknowledge their names.
Members of the child’s family sat yards away in the public gallery alongside police officers, one woman in tears as she looked over at the defendants.
Judge Robert Altham, the Honorary Recorder of Preston, at the beginning of the 30-minute hearing, dealing with administrative matters that cannot be reported yet, said: “I gather there are members of Preston’s family here. They are most welcome.”
There was no application for bail and the men were remanded in custody for a plea hearing on October 13 later this year.
Judge Altham heard that the trial was likely to take six to eight weeks.
Alex Langhorn appeared today for the prosecution, with Richard Vardon representing Varley and Steven Swift representing McGowan-Fazakerley.
The judge said he regretted the delay but it would ensure that all expert witnesses were ready to proceed.
He set a trial date of April 14, with the two defendants due to appear in October to enter pleas.