The jury in the trial of Jamie Varley, 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, was formally discharged today at Preston Crown Court. The couple is accused of sexually abusing and murdering their adopted son, Preston Davey, who was 13 months old when he died.
Key Takeaways
The jury in the trial of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley was discharged due to unforeseen circumstances. The couple faces multiple charges related to the alleged abuse and murder of their adopted son, Preston Davey.
- Jury discharged on fourth day of trial at Preston Crown Court
- Couple accused of sexual abuse, physical assault, and murder of 13-month-old Preston Davey
- Baby suffered 40 injuries over four months in defendants' care
- Post-mortem revealed death by smothering due to acute upper airway obstruction
- Trial expected to resume with a new jury panel on Monday
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▼Source Claims Check
High ConsensusAll 6 publishers report consistent facts across 4 key claims.
| Claim | Status | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jury Discharge | Broad Agreement | Jury formally discharged by presiding judge | |
| Defendants' Charges | Broad Agreement | Varley faces murder, sexual assault, GBH; McGowan-Fazakerley charged with causing death and child c… | |
| Preston's Injuries | Broad Agreement | Preston suffered 40 traumatic injuries over four months in defendants' care | |
| Cause Of Death | Broad Agreement | Death by smothering due to acute upper airway obstruction |
Jury Discharge
Broad AgreementJury formally discharged by presiding judge
Defendants' Charges
Broad AgreementVarley faces murder, sexual assault, GBH; McGowan-Fazakerley charged with causing death and child cruelty
Preston's Injuries
Broad AgreementPreston suffered 40 traumatic injuries over four months in defendants' care
Cause Of Death
Broad AgreementDeath by smothering due to acute upper airway obstruction
This analysis is AI-generated and may not perfectly represent each source's reporting. Always read the original articles for full context.
Varley faces charges including murder, sexual assault, inflicting grievous bodily harm (GBH), child cruelty, and making indecent images of a child. McGowan-Fazakerley is charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of child cruelty. Both defendants deny all charges.
The prosecution alleges that Preston suffered 40 traumatic injuries during the four months he was in the couple's care, including bruises and grazes on his head, face, mouth, upper limbs, chest, back, and left thigh. A post-mortem examination revealed that Preston's cause of death was acute upper airways obstruction due to smothering.
Sandra Cooper, Preston's former foster mother, testified that she had a 'gut feeling' something was wrong after Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley cancelled or failed to show up at scheduled meetings. The prosecution also claimed that Varley had expressed having 'dark thoughts' about the child, including thoughts of drowning him or suffocating him.
On the evening of July 27, 2023, McGowan-Fazakerley came home from work to find Varley trying to resuscitate Preston and 'panicking.' They drove the baby, who was in cardiac arrest, to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, but he could not be saved. The trial is expected to resume with a fresh jury panel on Monday.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 6 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.