NEW TRIAL: The Tragic Life of Preston Davey

The Trial

The Crime Desk

True Crime

4.2 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 21 April 2026

⏱️ 1 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Caroline and Liz are back with a new trial and a new series of the podcast about the tragic life - and death - of a baby boy. Preston Davey died aged 13 months old, allegedly at the hands one of the men who adopted him. It's alleged Jamie Varley, a high school teacher, murdered Preston and that he and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, abused him.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

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

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In June 2022, a baby boy named Preston Davy was born in Manchester.
0:05.7	He was removed from his birth mother and put into foster care before he was adopted by two men who lived together in Blackpool.
0:15.3	Within four months of being put into the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan for Zachary, Preston was dead, aged 13 months.
0:25.5	He was killed, it's alleged, at the hands of Jamie Varley, who was a high school teacher.
0:30.0	He is accused of murder, of cruelty and of sexual assault.
0:35.4	His partner, John McGowan for Zachary, is also accused of abusing Preston,
0:41.0	of cruelty and causing or allowing his death.
0:44.9	Both deny the charges and are now on trial.
0:48.8	I'm Caroline Cheatham and with my colleague Liz Hull.
0:52.2	We'll be covering the case on the trial UK.
0:55.6	Welcome to the tragic life of Preston Davie.

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