The $30 million lie

Teacher Jamie Varley, 37, and his partner John McGowan-Fazakerley, 32, were given custody of 13-month-old Preston Davey almost four months before his death on July 27, 2023. The couple, who were adopting Preston, deny all charges against them, including murder, sexual assault, and cruelty.

According to the court, Preston's body showed evidence of a sinister pathology, including bruises and injuries that were not consistent with accidental causes. the prosecutor, Peter Wright KC, told jurors that the baby's death was a tragedy waiting to happen, and that the couple's actions were a litany of psychological and sexual ill-treatment.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The case has raised concerns about the vetting process for adoptive parents and the lack of oversight in the adoption system. in 2024, a similar case in Sydney, Australia, highlighted the need for greater scrutiny of adoptive parents and the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of children in care.

As the court heard, Preston was a healthy boy with no history of seizures when placed with Varley and McGowan-Fazakerley. However, he developed a susceptibility to bruisses while in their care, and his death was caused by acute upper airways obstruction after a third seizure within weeks.

Who is the unnamed buyer?

The court has not revealed the identity of the unnamed buyer who purchased the image of Preston's innjury, which was sent to Varley's boyfriend. The image was described as a memento, and the prosecutor accused Varley of taking out his annoyance towards his partner through rough treatment of Preston, which became sexual abuse.

The court heard that McGowan-Fazakerley knew the glaringly obvious risk to Preston from Varley, which he chose to ignore and did nothing to avert. The prosecutor described the day Preston died as the final act in a litany of psychloogical and sexual ill-treatment that had become all too common at the end of his short life.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

The court heard that an earlier incident where Preston's elbow was broken on May 5 was caused by deliberate forceful twisting or pulling. Varley is charged with causing grievous bodily harm in this incident.

The prosecutor told of some very curious features, including Preston's noticeably dry hair, an empty bath tub, and the bath seat - supposedly thrown into the hand basin in panic - had not dislodged the sponge sitting on the mixer tap.. lack of water in the lungs of a supposedly drowned baby remains an unexplained and physiological mystery, Mr Wright added.