Baby murder accused could not recall 'horrible' video

A teacher being questioned about the death of his adopted baby son denied abusing him and said he "could not recall" taking a Snapchat video of him struggling to breathe, a court has been told.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court were shown a video of Jamie Varley being interrogated by detectives about what had happened before 13-month-old Preston Davey died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in July 2023.

In the video, when questioned about baby Preston's injuries, Varley replied: "I don't believe he had that many bruises."

The 37-year-old is accused of murder, while his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, is charged with allowing the child's death. Both are accused of sexual abuse.

• Warning: The following court evidence contains distressing information

During the four months Preston was under the couple's adoption at their home in Blackpool, it is alleged he was routinely ill-treated, had indecent images and videos taken of him, and was sexually abused and physically assaulted.

The prosecution's case is that the couple rushed the unconscious child to hospital after an alleged final sexual assault by Varley, at about 18:20 BST on 27 July 2023.

Varley denies murder, manslaughter, two counts of assault by penetration, five counts of cruelty to a child, grievous bodily harm, sexual assault of a child, 13 counts of taking indecent photographs or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photograph of a child to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photograph.

McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the death of a child, three counts of child cruelty and one count of sexually assaulting of a child.

Varley was questioned by police about the multiple bruises or injuries on the child's body, including to both arms, his legs, back, throat and bottom and 24 bruises to his head, including behind his ear.

"There's a lot of injuries here," the detective told Varley. "We are not satisfied they are all accidental."

Varley replied: "I don't believe he had that many bruises. He has not been abused. He hasn't."

Varley is also asked about a Snapchat video taken about one hour and 45 minutes before he and his co-accused rushed Preston, who he had renamed Elijah, to hospital.

He claims he left Preston temporarily alone in the bath and returned to find him partially under the water.

The video was taken while Varley was home alone with Preston, and in it the child is lying on a bed struggling to breathe in what officers described as a "distressing" video.

The detective said: "There's some concern about the content of the video. Why did you not do anything about it?"

Varley said he could not recall taking the video and thought the baby was having a seizure, as he had done before.

"He was fine in the bathtub," Varley added.

"He's a long way from fine in that video," the officer replied, adding: "In my view, it's horrible."

Varley was also told an initial post-mortem investigation indicated that Preston had not drowned in the bath and no water was found in his lungs.

"Can you explain how else he might have died?" the detective asked.

Varley said the child was "responsive" when he pulled him from the bath but that Preston was "not a well little boy".

"Was there any sexual motivation?" the detective asked.

Varley replied: "Absolutely not. No."

The detective tells him that when Preston was adopted he was healthy with no injuries but while living with the defendants someone has caused the child's death.

"We have not caused Elijah's death. We would never do that," Varley said.

Medics worked for nearly an hour to resuscitate the baby until a decision was made that further intervention was futile.

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