Men charged after death of baby Preston Davey in Blackpool

Friday, 13 June 2025 17:23

By Central Radio News

Police have charged two men as part of an ongoing investigation into the death of a baby boy in Blackpool.

They were called to Blackpool Victoria Hospital at 7.15pm on July 27, 2023, to a report that a baby boy been brought into the hospital unresponsive.

The baby boy, 13-month-old Preston Davey, was pronounced deceased a short time later.

A 36-year-old man, formerly from Blackpool and now Grimsargh near Preston, was arrested on suspicion of murder and later arrested on suspicion of sexual assault, assault, and Ill treatment and neglect of a child under 13.

A 31-year-old man, formerly from Blackpool and now Grimsargh near Preston, was arrested on suspicion of causing and allowing the death of a child and child neglect.

Both men were re-arrested on Wednesday (11^th June) and having consulted the Crown Prosecution Service, police charged them last night (12^th June) with the following.

Jamie Varley, 36, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, has been charged with murder, two counts of sexual assault of a male child under 13, inflicting grievous bodily harm, five counts of cruelty to a person under 16, ten counts of taking indecent images of a child, two counts of possessing indecent images of a child, one count of distributing an indecent image of a child and one count of possessing an extreme image.

John McGowan-Fazakerley, 31, of Chandlers Way, Grimsargh, has been charged with causing and allowing the death of a child, two counts of cruelty to a person under 16, sexual assault of a male child under 13.

All the charges relate to the same victim.

Both men were remanded into custody to appear at Lancaster Magistrates Court today.