The Trial

A teacher, a head of year, a safeguarding lead will never be released from prison. A judge today decided Jamie Varley’s crimes against Preston Davey were so sinister, so depraved, so relentlessly evil that he should never be free.

In this episode, Caroline and Liz have all the details from an emotional day in court, including the words of Preston’s foster carers Sandra and Paul Cooper and his mum Sarah Davey. But as Jamie Varley and John McGowan Fazakerley were told about the devastation caused by their crimes they did not flinch.

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Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull
Producer: Sam Morris
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preston Davey was the victim of two sinister and wicked men, who “chose” him from an adoption website - then they both abused him and one of them murdered him. That’s what a jury have now decided. Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerly denied to the bitter end that they mistreated him, but the jury didn’t believe them. Today Caroline and Liz have got those verdicts in full and what happened as they were delivered - plus we can now bring you many of the details we haven’t been able to share up to now.
Trigger warning - the details in this episode are distressing and relate to child abuse.

The Trial is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access to our true-crime podcast collection. Visit thecrimedesk.com for more information.
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fate of Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley is now in the hands of the jury. As this trial comes to an end Caroline and Liz have the final arguments, the final pleas and the final instructions to the jury. The decisions on the guilt or innocence of the two men on trial is now up to them.

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Email us thetrial@dailymail.com
WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull
Actors: Benny Fiddimore and Lucy Ryan
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Preston Davey was in “peril at the hands of Jamie Varley” and John McGowan Fazakerly knew it - that’s what Peter Wright KC told the jury in this episode of the podcast with Caroline and Liz. As he closed his case, the prosecutor said Preston’s death was a “tragedy waiting to happen” - he said Jamie Varley had a sexual interest in children and he subjected Preston to a “litany of physical and psychological abuse” - and John McGowan Fazakerly could have foreseen what would happen. The danger Preston was in, Mr Wright said, was “blindingly obvious”.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com
Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime
Email us thetrial@dailymail.com
WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini
The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode John McGowan-Fazakerley tells the jury how he turned detective to try to piece together what caused his adopted son, Preston Davey, to die. He said he knew now that his trust in Jamie Varley had been misplaced because he hadn't known the extent of the disturbing content on his phone. John McGowan-Fazakerley denied ever abusing or harming Preston - he said the allegations were abhorrent and vile - but he was asked repeatedly why traces of his semen were found on Preston's cot.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com
Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime
Email us thetrial@dailymail.com
WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull
Editor: Chelsey Ranore
Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham
Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

The Trial series uses actors and some voices generated by AI. Their words are taken as verbatim from the official court transcript.

Click here to sign up to The Crime Desk's weekly newsletter.
It's free and packed with exclusive interviews, expert insight, and gripping deep dive investigations from across the world.

A Daily Mail production.
Seriously Popular.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.