A teacher accused of sexually abusing and murdering a baby boy he was trying to adopt with his boyfriend today insisted: ‘He had a brilliant life with us.’

Jamie Varley, 37, denied that he and John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, had a shared sexual interest in Preston Davey or that they physically assaulted and molested him for their own amusement and gratification.

Giving evidence for the fourth day, Varley insisted they ‘loved’ their 13-month-old son and that was something no-one could 'take away.’

Preston Crown Court has heard that the baby was removed from his birth mother aged five days, placed into the care of Oldham Council and lived with foster parents for the first 10 months of his life.

He was adopted by Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley in April 2023, but visited hospital three times, including once with a broken elbow, before his death less than four months later, on July 27.

Peter Wright KC, prosecuting, told jurors that Varley, who had taken a year off his job to care for Preston, became increasingly frustrated with the tot, who was a poor sleeper and regularly vomited his milk feeds because of a reflux condition.

The barrister suggested that, by the beginning of July, Preston was being physically and sexually abused by both men, who used him as their ‘plaything.’

Referring to a video of Preston being aggressively spun in a teacup-style roundabout in a park, to the Kylie Minogue song ‘Spinning Around,’ eight days before he died, Varley admitted Preston’s eyes were rolling and struggling to focus.

He denied spinning the infant for his own amusement, although admitted it was only after being presented with the footage by police following his arrest that he regretted spinning him so fast.

Mr Wright said: ‘This little lad was resigned to his fate and it was obvious on his face.

Varley replied: ‘No, this little boy, our little boy, had a brilliant life with us.'

Mr Wright added: ‘For whose amusement did you set it to music?'

‘Again, I’m not proud of what I’ve done, it wasn’t for amusement, I just didn’t click in that moment that my actions were wrong,' Varley said.

A few days later, on July 23, Mr Wright said Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley sexually abused Preston in his cot at their home in Blackpool, together.

Distressing images of the infant, propped over the cot rail, apparently unresponsive, were found on Varley’s phone and were evidence of a sexual attack, the barrister said.

‘He was your plaything, wasn’t he?' Mr Wright said.

‘No, he was not,’ Varley replied. ‘He was our beautiful boy that was very much loved. 

'In hindsight, I got some things wrong but he was very much loved and that’s something you will never, ever be able to take away.’

Varley claimed he took the pictures because Preston would often fall asleep in strange positions and he did not realise he was in danger. Two expert doctors have told the trial that Preston’s lips appear blue on the images and he was likely struggling to breathe.

Varley claimed that, on the day Preston died, he had been giving the tot a bath when he nipped away from the bathroom to get changed and returned to discover him under the water. 

He said McGowan-Fazakerley came back from work moments later and they rushed Preston to hospital once they realised he had stopped breathing.

But Mr Wright suggested to Varley that he had ‘made up’ the bath incident to ‘cover up’ for twice sexually assaulting Preston that afternoon and causing his collapse. 

The court has been told that a post-mortem found that Preston did not drown but died of an acute upper airway obstruction, caused by being smothered or an object being forced into his mouth. 

He also had more than 40 separate injuries, including at least 20 external bruises, and serious internal injuries to the back of his throat and pelvic organs, which the experts told the jury were also consistent with sexual abuse.

‘The reality is you killed that boy,’ Mr Wright said.

Varley replied: ‘The reality is very much wrong.'

‘And you did so in circumstances where you are guilty of his murder,’ the barrister continued.

‘No I’m not, I’m not,’ Varley said. ‘Our boy was not sexually abused or murdered or hit.’

Varley, who was head of Year 11 at a comprehensive school in the Lancashire seaside resort, 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 photos or videos of a child, one of distributing an indecent photo of a child, to his co-accused, and one of making an indecent photo.

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

The trial continues.