Baby left at 'mercy' of adoptive parents, murder trial told

A baby was left at the "mercy" of his abusive adoptive parents and paid with his life, a court heard. Preston Davey, aged 13 months, died after months of alleged sexual and physical abuse by high school head of year Jamie Varley, 37, Preston Crown Court heard. Varley, accused of murder and 25 other offences, adopted the boy with his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, who is accused of causing or allowing the death of a child, child cruelty and sexual assault. Both men deny a sexual interest in the child and have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Peter Wright KC, in his closing speech to the jury in the seventh week of the trial, said: "Preston Davey was just nine months old when he was placed with these defendants for adoption. "It was supposed to be, you may conclude, the start of a new life together for each of them. "Yet just a few days short of four months later Preston was dead and his body contained injuries both external and internal we say, consistent with his abuse." Wright said it was only after Preston began living at their home in Blackpool, in April 2023, that he began to suffer non-accidental "cluster" injuries of bruising, seizures or respiratory failures and evi