The $40 of injuries that changed everything

A post-mortem examination revealed that the baby had suffered 40 injuries,including signs of a serious sexual assault, and that the cause of death was acute upper airways obstruction due to smothering or insertion of objects into his mouth. There was no evidence to support drowning.

The prosecution alleges that Varley, a secondary school head of year who was in the process of adopting Preston, provided a false account of events.

John McGowan-Fazakerley's 180-degree turn

McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, who is charged alongside his boyfriend Jamie Varley with causing or allowing the death of Preston Davey,described arriving home from work on July 27, 2023, to find a chaotic scene .

However, under cross-examination by prosecutor Peter Wright, KC, McGowan-Fazakerley admitted that Preston's hair appeared dry.

'I can recall it being quite tight in terms of his locks but Preston wasn't wet, put it that way,' he said.

Photographs of a disturbing nature

The trial also heard about photographs found on Varley's phone from four days before the death, which allegedly depict a sexual assault of the sleeping infant leaning over the bars of his cot.

McGowan-Fazakerley testified that he did not recall the specific day and had to check his bank statements to remember his activities .

He denied any involvement in the alleged assault, stating, 'I imagine someone who had done such a thing would remember doing that.'

Questions about Varley's account

This testimony undermines Varley's account that the baby accidentally drowned in the bath, a claim that Wright has repeatedly labeled as fabricated.

McGowan-Fazakerley recounted driving Varley and the unresponsive infant to Blackpool Victoria Hospital , where Preston was later pronounced dead.

The prosecution accuses the couple of colluding while living together for nearly two years before being charged.

Who is telling the truth?

The trial continues, with the prosecution and defensse presenting their cases to the court.

The question on everyone's mind is: who is telling the truth, and what really happened to Preston Davey?