Warning: This post contains highly distressing details involving the abuse and death of a baby.
Preston Davey's adoptive dad chillingly said, "I'm definitely going to hell", before being found guilty of the child's murder and sexual abuse.
Jamie Varley, 37, adopted Preston Davey at nine months old with his partner, ex-public schoolboy and financial sales manager, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32.
They adopted the "sweet and bubbly" baby in 2023, and he was tragically dead four months later at just 13 months old. ๐ข
During the trial at Preston Crown Court, the jury was shown a selection of footage from body-worn cameras, captured at the hospital following Preston's death.
The court heard how, after the baby died, the parents and grandmother were invited into the bereavement room to spend time with him.
Varley initially refused to go in but was later persuaded by hospital staff. In a video clip played in court he was seen holding the baby, saying: "I can’t do with people moaning out there because I’m broken in half. I don’t think I can do this John."
McGowan-Fazackerley replied: "We are going to be okay. This is going to be the hardest thing that we’re ever going to do in our lives, but we’ve got each other."
Varley then said: "I’m so angry at him. He hasn’t got anybody up there. I probably won’t see you again, I’m definitely going to Hell."
He was later found guilty of murder, 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 was found guilty of allowing the death of a child, two counts of child cruelty and one count of the sexual assault of a child.
A Home Office post-mortem ruled out drowning as the cause of death, and the examination found around 40 non-accidental, internal and external injuries.
They included multiple clusters of ‘finger tip’ bruises on his head, face and limbs, slap marks on his leg, and a human bite mark on the baby’s right buttock.
Preston also had injuries to his mouth, throat and bottom, with parts of his anatomy “abnormal” and the injuries consistent with “forcible penetration” and sexual abuse.
The cause of Preston’s death was found to be acute upper airways obstruction by an object or objects inserted into his mouth.