The twisted life of teacher who killed his adopted son

Varley first worked at South Shore Academy as a design and technology technician, before later becoming a teacher there after training between 2019 and 2021.

He also took on a pastoral role as a designated safeguarding lead and was head of year.

McGowan-Fazakerley worked as a sales manager in finance.

Messages shown to the jury reveal how Varley was struggling as a new parent, the court heard.

"How is being a father treating you?", one message to Varley read on 17 April 2023.

"It's great. Exhausting and not have a decent nights sleep. I knew it would be hard but this is something else," he replied.

"He wakes up almost every two hours and have a screaming paddy which takes almost a hour to get him back to sleep xx."

On 21 June, he replied to a message saying he had "anxiety and maybe a little bit of post adoption depression".

"Didn't reliable [SIC] that was a thing unless [SIC] a doctor said. I'll be alright."

But Fallows said while Varley "struggled as a parent, as any new parent does, it went further than that."

"The picture they tried to present to the outside world was one of respectability," he said.

"The truth is far more sinister and darker than that."

After Preston began living at the couple's home, he started to suffer non-accidental "cluster" injuries of bruising, seizures or respiratory failures, and there was evidence of abnormality of his anatomy.

In the months before his death, Preston was taken to hospital three times.

Firstly for a nose bleed and seizure, for the second time with a rash and bruising and on the third occasion with a fractured left elbow.

On 27 July, he was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by Varley for the final time.

Varley told medical staff he had left the child in the bath for two or three minutes and returned to find him submerged.

But he was dry and there was no evidence he had swallowed water.

Medics were unable to revive Preston, and he was pronounced dead in hospital.

A post-mortem examination found 40 external and internal trauma injuries to the child's body, with some consistent with "forcible penetration" and sexual abuse. It ruled out drowning as a cause of death.

"I think Jamie Varley has sought to deceive right from day one," said Fallows.

"The reality is he's concealed, he's lied, his account is, or was, wholly inconsistent and disbelievable.

"He is a serial manipulator and a serial liar, and his defence has basically been everybody else is wrong, and that's happened on numerous occasions.

"I don't see any evidence of regret, remorse, or actual sorrow for Preston Davey.

"I think any tears have been around Jamie Varley, an arrogant, self-centred liar."

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