Teacher and partner on trial over death of adopted 13-month-old; court hears of distress messages, harmful thoughts, and alleged abuse
Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, are on trial over the July 2023 death of 13-month-old Preston Davey, whom they adopted in April 2023. The child suffered 40 traumatic injuries and died after four months in their care. Varley denies murder; McGowan-Fazakerley denies allowing the child’s death. The court has heard that Varley sent messages describing Preston as 'dead meat' and joking about murder. A colleague testified that Varley disclosed 'harmful thoughts' about suffocating the baby. Allegations include sexual abuse and possession of inappropriate images. Preston was previously in foster care, who described him as happy and healthy. The couple had passed vetting procedures. School officials were reportedly aware of Varley’s struggles. All sources confirm core facts but differ in emphasis on professional context, abuse allegations, and testimonial focus.
Daily Mail and Daily Mail provide deeper insight into institutional awareness and risk signals through Janet Gee’s testimony. BBC News emphasizes the emotional and textual evidence from family communications. Daily Mail blends elements of both but introduces a more accusatory tone toward the foster carer. Daily Mail/03 and BBC News together offer the most complete picture.
- ✓ Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, adopted 13-month-old Preston Davey in April 2023.
- ✓ Preston died on 27 July 2023, four months after being placed in the couple’s care.
- ✓ Varley is accused of murder; McGowan-Fazakerley is accused of allowing the death of a child, as well as other charges.
- ✓ The couple had undergone vetting procedures before adoption.
- ✓ Preston had a milk intolerance and was previously in foster care with Sandra Cooper, who described him as happy and healthy.
- ✓ Varley sent text messages expressing frustration with Preston’s sleep patterns and behavior.
- ✓ In one message, Varley referred to Preston as 'dead meat'.
- ✓ In another message, Varley joked that a video of Preston was taken 'before he was murdered'.
- ✓ Varley had taken time off from his job as a teacher to care for Preston.
- ✓ The case is being heard at Preston Crown Court.
Primary focus of the allegations
Focuses on Varley’s text messages describing the baby as 'dead meat' and joking about murder, emphasizing emotional distress and verbal expressions of frustration.
Emphasizes Varley’s derogatory text messages and includes claims about sexual abuse and adoption vetting, framing the story around premeditated cruelty and institutional oversight.
Introduction of sexual abuse and indecent images
Mentions sexual abuse in the opening sentence but does not elaborate further in the provided excerpt.
Includes reference to sexual abuse in the headline and early in the article but cuts off before detailing evidence.
Role and credibility of Janet Gee
Does not mention Janet Gee or her testimony.
Does not include any mention of Janet Gee.
Framing of foster carer Sandra Cooper
Quotes Cooper extensively, emphasizing Preston’s health and happiness before adoption.
Mentions Cooper but frames her as having 'spoilt' Preston by responding to his cries, suggesting blame for sleep issues.
Context about school and professional role
Mentions Varley was head of year at a high school but does not explore professional implications.
Mentions teaching job and time off but does not explore safeguarding role.
BBC News
Framing: Frames the event around Varley’s incriminating text messages and emotional volatility, using family communications to build a narrative of premeditated cruelty and emotional detachment.
Tone: Sensational and accusatory, with strong emotional language emphasizing the shock of the defendant’s statements
Sensationalism: Headline uses emotionally charged phrase 'dead meat' without context, framing the quote as literal rather than potentially hyperbolic.
"Blackpool teacher said baby was 'dead meat', jury hears"
Misleading Context: Repeats Varley’s message 'He's dead meat today' without immediate clarification of context (e.g., sleep deprivation), potentially amplifying its shock value.
"He's dead meat today. Didn't sleep last night after 11.30. Up every, one and a half hours."
Framing By Emphasis: Highlights foster carer’s positive assessment of Preston ('happy baby', 'perfectly healthy') to contrast with later abuse, implying deterioration under defendants’ care.
"Preston was a very happy baby... Preston was a perfectly healthy baby."
Cherry Picking: Includes Varley’s contradictory statements ('annoying' vs. 'ray of sunshine') to portray internal conflict, but does not explore psychological context.
"He's just annoying. Lol... a ray of sunshine"
Daily Mail
Framing: Frames the event as a preventable tragedy with clear warning signs ignored by both a close colleague and the school system, emphasizing professional responsibility and institutional failure.
Tone: Serious and investigative, with a focus on missed opportunities for intervention and professional accountability
Framing By Emphasis: Headline centers on 'harmful thoughts' about suffocation, framing the story as a failure of intervention despite warning signs.
"Teacher told colleague he was having 'harmful thoughts' about suffocating baby boy..."
Appeal To Emotion: Presents Janet Gee’s testimony sympathetically, including her belief that Varley wouldn’t act on thoughts, suggesting institutional complacency.
"I believed him... I didn’t believe it was something he would want to carry out."
Editorializing: Highlights that Varley and Gee were safeguarding leads, implying professional hypocrisy and systemic failure.
"She said she and Varley had done their safeguarding training together and had been ‘safeguarding leads’ at the school for ten years."
Cherry Picking: Introduces sensitive allegations (indecent images, videos of baby’s bottom) without full context or legal outcome, potentially prejudicial.
"alleged indecent images and inappropriate videos found on his mobile phone, including one of Preston’s bottom"
Daily Mail
Framing: Mirrors Daily Mail exactly — focuses on the failure to act on disclosed harmful thoughts and the irony of a safeguarding lead becoming a suspect.
Tone: Identical to Daily Mail: serious, emotionally charged, and focused on systemic oversight failures
Cherry Picking: Identical in content and structure to Daily Mail, suggesting syndicated or duplicated reporting.
"A teacher told a work colleague he was having ‘harmful thoughts’ about suffocating a baby boy..."
Appeal To Emotion: Same emphasis on Janet Gee’s emotional testimony and safeguarding role, reinforcing narrative of institutional failure.
"Mrs Gee, who admitted she was ‘very close friends’ with Varley, broke down in the witness box..."
Vague Attribution: Repeats allegations of indecent images without additional sourcing or balance.
"alleged indecent images and inappropriate videos found on his mobile phone"
Daily Mail
Framing: Frames the story as a moral failure involving premeditated cruelty, institutional vetting flaws, and a contrast between idealized adoption and grim reality.
Tone: Dramatic and judgmental, with a focus on irony and systemic failure, using strong language to condemn the accused
Sensationalism: Headline combines multiple serious allegations (sexual abuse, murder, adoption) for maximum impact, using dramatic language.
"Teacher accused of sexually abusing and murdering baby boy he was trying to adopt described him as 'dead meat'"
Framing By Emphasis: Describes foster carer Sandra Cooper as having 'spoilt' Preston, subtly shifting blame to prior caregiver.
"frustrated that Preston was not in a sleep routine because he had been ‘spoilt’ by Mrs Cooper, who ‘smothered him’"
Loaded Language: Uses emotive descriptors like 'joked about killing him' and 'worst sleepers' to amplify negative perception of defendant and child.
"joked about killing him"
Framing By Emphasis: Notes the couple passed 'robust' vetting procedures, implying a failure in the adoption system despite thorough checks.
"passed ‘robust’ vetting procedures"
Blackpool teacher said baby was 'dead meat', jury hears
Teacher accused of sexually abusing and murdering baby boy he was trying to adopt described him as 'dead meat' and joked about killing him, court hears
Teacher told colleague he was having 'harmful thoughts' about suffocating baby boy he adopted just weeks before allegedly murdering him
Teacher told colleague he was having 'harmful thoughts' about suffocating baby boy he adopted just weeks before allegedly murdering him