Preston Davey Trial

Boogs · May 5, 2026

AladdinSane said:
Varley is 100% guilty but I'm with you on M-F. I'm curious what theyll have on him. Its just so awful. There are no words to describe it. My heart breaks for that poor baby. Thank god he had great months with his foster parents who sound like absolute angels.

I agree Varley sounds like he was the main abuser and I’m not sure about M-F based on the evidence presented so far. At best he sounds naive and easily manipulated by Varley who sounds like a master manipulator who had many people fooled. That monster videoed that poor baby as he was dying and did nothing to get him help until M-F came home, saw how bad he was and drove him straight to the hospital where it became another opportunity for Varley to be dramatic. I think his mum saying what she said was probably based on his bullshit story of leaving him alone in the bath.

I feel sick every time I see photos of that gorgeous, happy baby knowing how much he suffered

Lynn’ssnazzycardigan said:
To have several professionals with experience of grieving parents describe someone in that situation as overly dramatic is a massive tell.

Exactly. It’s seems like Varley was quite histrionic and seemed to always be playing a role. A psychopath acting having human emotions.

Upintheair83 · May 5, 2026

This case is beyond horrific, probably the worst case iv ever read about. I don't even know if I can read anymore.
I have no words to even describe the depths of depravity that this delves into.
And I'm finding myself looking at every man I pass on the street, every man I see in a shop, every delivery driver, every man in a business suit, having a drink at a bar.....just every man... I'm starting to look at and wonder. I'm wondering what's on their mobile phones, what do they seek out? Does their smile hide a dark secret? And I hold onto my sons hand a little tighter and think of beautiful, innocent and pure little Preston, and quite honestly its breaking my heart.

YellowTail · May 5, 2026

I wonder if JV and JMF are still together or if they have parted and JMF Is going to blame JV to try to save himself.

Emsie · May 5, 2026

Itchy of Itchington said:
Thank you for your thoughtful and informative poster @Emsie it's really useful to hear from someone who has become a parent through adoption.

I was quite surprised by how fast they went from initially meeting him to having him stay with them. I've read that 1 to 2 weeks is usual from initial meeting but he seemed to have gone there in about 3 days. I don't think that is due to them being gay and prioritised though. Just bad practice.
I believe that when preparing for adoption the prospective adopters are asked if they would consider a child that may have had exposure to drugs and alcohol in utero as well as disabled children or sibling groups. There's so many things that would have been covered in their adoption assessment that would have explained Jamie's "complaints" about Preston. I wonder if Jamie gave textbook answers from being a safeguarding lead rather than listening to the reality of what being an adoptive parent can be like.

I just finished the podcasts that are covering this case and two things really struck me. Jamie just sits and watches Preston on multiple occasions when the baby has fallen over or is being bothered by their dog or is unable to sit up in the bath. Sometimes he films it.
The other thing is under a spoiler as it's disturbing

Preston was diagnosed with chest infections twice in about 4 weeks. Was this as a result of aspirating liquid? I can't even type the rest of this. But aspiration bronchitis and pneumonia does happen. It's just usually food or inhaled drinks

Our introductions were seven days. Day 1 spend an hour at foster care, day 2 a few hours, day 3 spend a morning and do the morning routine, day 4 spend the evening and do the bedtime, day 5 foster carers bring them to your house for a sleepover, day 6 a break so baby can have goodbyes with foster carers, day 7 collect them and take them home. That's usual for most people I know. Some do do bumps, where adopters turn up at the park or something a few times so baby recognises you.
Our foster carer put our pictures up around him too, at his level, in his cot etc so he was constantly seeing our faces. Prior to introductions we did video calls and although he didn't really interact with us on the calls, he heard our voices. We also sent voicenotes so our voices would be familiar to him. You create a scrapbook as well with photos of your home which foster carers can show them. It is really well thought out to be honest, it's not just swoop in and take them.

Pulltheotherone · May 5, 2026

I’m struggling with this case too.
I did say I wouldn’t follow it too deeply which I’m trying to do and just get bits but even those hurts my heart.
That beautiful little boy

dottynotty · May 5, 2026

YellowTail said:
I wonder if JV and JMF are still together or if they have parted and JMF Is going to blame JV to try to save himself.

I feel like Jamie is the worst out of them. I feel like the pictures he sent was maybe testing the water. Whether John got on board we don’t know yet but he appears meak and no backbone. He would have known Jamie was struggling and probably being inappropriate.

Emsie · May 5, 2026

I think Jamie is definitely the abuser and John just did nothing to stop the abuse which is just as bad. Not a single person on this thread would stand by whilst our partners abused our children. He can fuck off with his disgusting husband. I tell my husband off for slightly raising his voice at my babies.

SamPam · May 5, 2026

Will it be stated what M-F's replies were to the messages being sent? I agree Varley is definitely the worse of the two but M-F has also been charged with sexual assault too so they must have some evidence of it

nothinonyou · May 5, 2026

JF probably would have gotten off Scott free only for the SA charge. Otherwise he probably would have blamed everything on JV. That SA charge shows he knew exactly what was going on and participated in it.

I did wonder if the shoes off were an attempt to say he was at home too so then they'd stick together and JV wouldn't be blamed on his own. JV had his own car so why did he ring JF and say "come home now and drive us both to the hospital and we'll put on a performance even though he's already dead ". We don't know what he said on the phone obviously

Tanley · May 6, 2026

I might be misunderstanding, but I think the mother of JV saying wtte ‘this wouldn’t have happened if I was there’ means she wouldn’t have left him alone in the bath. She would have stayed in the room with him.
I assume that while at the hospital she believed their story of how Preston died.
Does anyone know if either of the men’s families are attending court?

Ray_of_Sunshine · May 6, 2026

It was John’s sperm found on the cot

AladdinSane · May 6, 2026

nothinonyou said:
JF probably would have gotten off Scott free only for the SA charge. Otherwise he probably would have blamed everything on JV. That SA charge shows he knew exactly what was going on and participated in it.

I did wonder if the shoes off were an attempt to say he was at home too so then they'd stick together and JV wouldn't be blamed on his own. JV had his own car so why did he ring JF and say "come home now and drive us both to the hospital and we'll put on a performance even though he's already dead ". We don't know what he said on the phone obviously

Apparently his story changed as well. One time he said he saw JV performing cpr, the next the door was locked and he couldn't get in the house.
Its times like this that the American way of filming trials would be useful as i find it much easier to keep track when watching something as opposed to reading

sebanna · May 6, 2026

I think at some point Varley changed his story from Preston drowning in the bath and immediately being taken to hospital to Preston appearing okay after being pulled from the water but then collapsing from dry drowning later, when he realised the dry hair and well fastened nappy did fit the original story.

Jayneh2020 · May 6, 2026

Did I read somewhere that he was left in bath and toppled over then JV got him out he appeared ok put him on the changing table and he done a poo so he changed his nappy and threw it out window for john to put in bin? Or did I just imagine that?

Lynn’ssnazzycardigan · May 6, 2026

sebanna said:
I think at some point Varley changed his story from Preston drowning in the bath and immediately being taken to hospital to Preston appearing okay after being pulled from the water but then collapsing from dry drowning later, when he realised the dry hair and well fastened nappy did fit the original story.

That’s a good point. I think things like this will be what the defence focus on. They’ve already tried to say the bruising to Preston’s throat could have been caused by the anaesthetist. Possible, but highly unlikely, scenarios to explain away the lies. They’ve also tried to discredit the orthopaedic guy saying he misheard the BS explanation for Preston’s elbow injury when JV was changing his story. They just need to make the jury doubt the prosecution’s version of events. As someone just reading about the trial I don’t think JV can get out of this but I’m not sure about JMF. I think he’s guilty but the charges he faces are more difficult to prove. We already know their life was essentially the JV Show and I guess they’ll go with JMF being under the thumb and a bit clueless as to what was really going on. There was some report of a third hand conversation where JV had rung up the school to speak with a colleague after they’d been arrested (bizarrely giving a false name) and some subsequent conversation referenced sperm on a towel, maybe trying to explain away evidence related to the JMF SA charge? It’s got to be predictable really serious harm to get a murder conviction, the baby had been filmed and also hospitalised before as a result of JV actions so that one is more clear cut. But COAD the jury would have to be sure JMF knew exactly what was going on and did nothing to stop it. As an aside, I can’t imagine how JV mum must be feeling. To think your son is settling into family life and given you a beautiful little grandson who you’ve loved and cared for, to finding out he’s a beast who tortured that little boy. Obviously my sympathies are mostly with the foster and birth families but still.

SamPam · May 6, 2026

Jayneh2020 said:
Did I read somewhere that he was left in bath and toppled over then JV got him out he appeared ok put him on the changing table and he done a poo so he changed his nappy and threw it out window for john to put in bin? Or did I just imagine that?

Yes he said that to the Head of Year at his school, I thought it was odd.

TheMiceInTheShed · May 6, 2026

Lynn’ssnazzycardigan said:
That’s a good point. I think things like this will be what the defence focus on. They’ve already tried to say the bruising to Preston’s throat could have been caused by the anaesthetist. Possible, but highly unlikely, scenarios to explain away the lies. They’ve also tried to discredit the orthopaedic guy saying he misheard the BS explanation for Preston’s elbow injury when JV was changing his story. They just need to make the jury doubt the prosecution’s version of events. As someone just reading about the trial I don’t think JV can get out of this but I’m not sure about JMF. I think he’s guilty but the charges he faces are more difficult to prove. We already know their life was essentially the JV Show and I guess they’ll go with JMF being under the thumb and a bit clueless as to what was really going on. There was some report of a third hand conversation where JV had rung up the school to speak with a colleague after they’d been arrested (bizarrely giving a false name) and some subsequent conversation referenced sperm on a towel, maybe trying to explain away evidence related to the JMF SA charge? It’s got to be predictable really serious harm to get a murder conviction, the baby had been filmed and also hospitalised before as a result of JV actions so that one is more clear cut. But COAD the jury would have to be sure JMF knew exactly what was going on and did nothing to stop it. As an aside, I can’t imagine how JV mum must be feeling. To think your son is settling into family life and given you a beautiful little grandson who you’ve loved and cared for, to finding out he’s a beast who tortured that little boy. Obviously my sympathies are mostly with the foster and birth families but still.

That’s a good point. I think things like this will be what the defence focus on. They’ve already tried to say the bruising to Preston’s throat could have been caused by the anaesthetist. Possible, but highly unlikely, scenarios to explain away the lies.

Then it comes down to likelihood.

1 highly unlikely thing happening - well, awful, - who could have expected that? . . . but sh*t happens

2 highly unlikely things happening - ooookay . . . but, you know, 1 chance in a million etc . . . highly improbable but not quite impossible

3 or more highly unlikely things happening - we're not stupid!

Especially added to the lies and story changes and FB posts and videos of a suffering baby.

RIP Preston. I hope justice is done.

TheMiceInTheShed · May 6, 2026

SamPam said:
Yes he said that to the Head of Year at his school, I thought it was odd.

"began CPR"

To explain possible DNA in Preson's mouth?

SamPam · May 6, 2026

TheMiceInTheShed said:
"began CPR"

To explain possible DNA in Preson's mouth?

Yes and as someone mentioned up thread, I think that's why he did it at the hospital in front of the doctor for further "proof" in front of a witness.

Jayneh2020 · May 6, 2026

Is all this no no no malarkey an act to make them feel sorry for him.... as most child abusers show no remorse! To be fair if my 1 year old died I would also be hysterical and probably acting the same way... I dont know why the doctors would comment on the fact he was overly dramatic? Unless they could tell it was very put on?

Preston Davey Trial

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