Trushali
- 17 April 2026
Trial of Blackpool teacher accused of murdering baby delayed
By Vanessa Sims
Published 16th Apr 2026, 00:01 BST
Updated 16th Apr 2026, 12:46 BST
Murder trial surrounding the death of 13-month-old Preston Davey was due to start today at Preston Crown Court.
The trial of a Blackpool teacher accused of murdering a baby boy he was trying to adopt has been delayed.
Jamie Varley, 37, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh and formerly of Staining Road, Staining is to stand trial at Preston Crown Court accused of murdering 13-month-old Preston Davey.
The former teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool is charged with: murder; two counts of sexual assault of a male child under 13; 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.
Varley was suspended as a teacher at South Shore Academy in Blackpool when he was arrested in 2023, the Cidari Multi Academy Trust which now runs the school said.
His partner and co-accused John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, also of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, formerly of Staining Road, Staining is 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.
The pair were in the process of adopting 13-month-old Preston Davey when he died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital on July 27, 2023 after he was brought in unresponsive.
His co-accused, McGowan-Fazakerley, also appeared at the same hearing vis video link from HMP Durham, and spoke only to confirm his name and enter a “not guilty” plea to all charges.
The trial, which has now been pushed back until Monday, is set to last six to eight weeks.
The hearingwas delayed due to procedural matters.