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The trial of a British teacher and his partner, accused of the horrific crimes of sexually abusing and murdering a baby boy they were in the process of adopting, took an unexpected turn on Thursday when the jury was dismissed.
Jamie Varley, aged 37, and John McGowan-Fazakerley, aged 32, were facing trial for their alleged offenses against 13-month-old Preston Davey. However, the judge, Justice Mark Turner, decided to discharge the jury, made up of six men and six women, according to a report by the Manchester Evening News.
No immediate explanation was provided for the jury’s discharge.
“Circumstances have arisen which make it impossible for this trial to continue,” Justice Turner explained to the jury at Preston Crown Court, located in northwest England.
He went on to praise the jury, saying, “I commend your evident attention and concentration over the past few days. You have fulfilled your duty, and this decision should not be seen as any criticism of you.”
“I’m afraid I’m left with no reasonable alternative … with a heavy heart I discharge you from this trial,” the judge said.
The jury previously heard how Davey was allegedly suffocated to death by Varley, just four months after he was placed in the couple’s care.
The tot was “routinely ill-treated, sexually abused and physically assaulted,” by Varley, a school teacher, and his boyfriend, prosecuting lawyer Peter Wright told the jury.
On three separate occasions, he was taken to the hospital, including once with a fractured arm, before he died on July 27, 2023.