In this episode Caroline and Liz have more of the evidence from Jamie Varley as he continues to give evidence in his own defence. He told the jury he didn’t agree with the medical evidence that Preston died because his airway was deliberately obstructed. He also said he didn’t lie to his partner, John McGowan Fazakerley, about what happened on the day Preston died. He also said the couple hadn’t been given time to grieve the loss of their son. 

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Actors: Benny Fiddimore and Lucy Ryan

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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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A Daily Mail production.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Jamie Varley tells his story. As the defence case gets underway Jamie Varley entered the witness box to deny abusing or killing Preston Davey. He said he was the safest person in the world for Preston and being a teacher and a daddy was all he ever wanted. He also denied keeping pictures on his phone which were “trophies” of Preston being sexually abused. But he said he accepted looking back that some of the footage was inappropriate.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Actors: Sarah Gee, Oliver Sykes, Benny Fiddimore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this extra episode Caroline and Liz have the moment Jamie Varley is faced with the extent of the allegations against him - and his reaction to them. He tells detective they are wrong that he sexually abused and murdered his adopted 13-month-old son, Preston Davey, and he will fight the allegations until the day he dies.

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Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Caroline and Liz have the evidence from a doctor who said in some of the videos on Jamie Varley’s phone, Preston Davey was in life threatening situations. Dr Jo Gifford, an expert in child sex abuse, said Preston showed signs of being mistreated and abused, and there was footage of him before he died which showed several “near misses.” 

We also have the evidence from Preston’s foster mum Sandra Cooper who came into court to refute Jamie Varley’s suggestion that the reason Preston was pictured and filmed naked was because she had advised he should be allowed “free willy time.” She said it was categorically untrue and she would view it as a big safeguarding issue.

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Actors: Sarah Gee, Oliver Sykes, Benny Fiddimore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Caroline and Liz have the medical evidence which the jury were told were consistent with Preston Davey being bitten and sexually assaulted before he died. A pathologist with 40 years experience said she found evidence that he could have been smothered or he may have died from having something forced into his mouth. She also said he suffered bruises which were not accidental. Preston was 13 months old when he died within four months of being in the care of Jamie Varley and John McGowan Fazakerley who were in the process of adopting him. The prosecution say he was abused and murdered. 

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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 Caroline and Liz have the moment Jamie Varley was accused of the murder and sexual abuse of the baby he adopted - and he told police he would fight them to prove his innocence. In video footage shown in court he said he didn't believe Preston Davey, who was just 13 months old when he died, had injuries all over his body, and he said accusations of sexual assault were bullshit. He also said naked and explicit pictures of Preston on his phone were innocent and the police were "making a mountain out of a molehill."

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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 we have the words of Jamie Varley as he denied abusing and murdering the baby boy he adopted. In a series of police interviews we’re bringing you today he says photos and videos the prosecution say are cruel or indecent were “totally innocent.” He also denied having any sexual interest in Preston and he said he did not kill him. But the jury also heard evidence that Preston had 45 bruises on his body, and he did not die from drowning in a bath, as Jamie Varley claimed.

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Richard Marsden

Actor: Sarah Gee

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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 update episode Caroline and Liz have the moment 13-month-old Preston Davey was brought into A&E in the minutes before he died. CCTV footage was shown in court of Jamie Varley and John McGowan Fazakerley running into the hospital in Blackpool carrying the baby and the jury was told Jamie Varley repeatedly said: "It's my fault." He told doctors he'd left Preston in the bath alone for a few minutes and he'd started drowning. But the prosecution say he deliberately murdered him, after weeks of abuse. The men deny the charges.

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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 Caroline and Liz have the latest in the case of Preston Davey - a baby the prosecution say was abused and murdered after he was adopted by two men - Jamie Varley and John McGowan Fazakerly. Today we’ve got evidence of the videos and pictures from Jamie Varley’s mobile phone. In many of them Preston is naked and in some Jamie Varley appears to be naked too. The prosecution say the jury will have to decide if they are cruel and indecent. We’ve also got the evidence from Jamie Varley’s colleagues who say he gave different accounts of how Preston broke his arm in the weeks before he died. And we hear that at one point the hospital did report some of Preston’s injuries to the police but no investigation was launched. 

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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 the scale of domestic violence is exposed as Caroline sits down with Louisa Rolfe, the Assistant Chief Constable of the Met Police. New figures released today show teenage girls are increasingly being abused by partners and the numbers of women who take their lives due to domestic abuse now far exceeds those who are killed by a violent partner. Jess Philips, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls today said the figures demonstrate a "National Emergency". We also have an interview with Chris Trybus, who was last week cleared of the manslaughter, rape and coercive control of his wife.

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

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WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’)

Presenter: Caroline Cheetham

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore and Sam Morris

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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.

n this episode Caroline, Nick and Liz have the latest on the trial of the men accused of abusing Preston Davey - and why it's been delayed. We've also got a chat about jury trials and why there are more voices calling for David Lammy not to scrap them, and after the acquittal of Chris Trybus this week for manslaughter, coercive control and rape, we've got an interview about the broader issues around domestic violence, but unconnected with those charges of which Chris Trybus was acquitted.

Help shape the Crime Desk by taking our quick, listener survey. It takes just five minutes, and you could win a £50 Amazon voucher.

Terms and conditions

• Open to UK residents aged 18 or over.
• Enter between 00:01 BST on 23rd April 2026 and 23:59 BST on 23rd May 2026, inclusive
• The Promotion is free to enter by visiting, completing the online survey and providing your contact details (including email address).
• There will be one (1) winner.
• The winner will win £50 Amazon Voucher
• Amazon Vouchers are subject to Amazon’s T&Cs found here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/
• Full T&Cs apply, click here to read them.

Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com

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Presenter: Caroline Cheetham, Liz Hull and Nick Fagge

Producer: Chelsey Ranore

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham

Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini

A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.

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.