Baby Preston Davey - Content warning concerns CSA (added by MNHQ)

[Sadmamma35]

I’ve just read about baby Preston Davey and I cannot stop thinking about him. I have a 13-month-old of my own, which is probably why this has hit me so hard — I can really relate and my baby is my everything.
I’m crying as I write this. Why does it hurt so much for a baby I’ve never even met? Has anyone else felt this way?
How do you cope with the negative thoughts that follow when you read something like this? 💙

I’m not sure. Apologies for the distressing content, but his semen was found on the inside of Preston’s cot bars, and the evidence suggests that he was involved in the sexual assault of Preston four days before he died.

The judge has also made it clear when addressing the jury today that if he was present, and aware of what was happening on that night even if he didn’t abuse Preston himself, he is guilty.

The issue for the prosecution is that the DNA evidence was presented as an agreed finding as neutral evidence. Two of the experts were for the prosecution and I’m sure if there was an expert who thought that it was definitive proof of guilt they’d have wanted that, because it makes a much stronger case. This is what the MEN said after the discussion of DNA.

All four forensic experts considered the findings against the hypothesis one or both men had or had not engaged in sexual activity with Preston Davey but agreed the findings were ‘neutral’.

Due to the domestic nature of the case, it is possible samples could have been transferred through close proximity or indirectly, for example in a mixed laundry load, they agreed.

Yes; I can see that.

Oh I hadn’t seen that, thank you. That’s made me feel sick.

Does anyone know when verdicts might be expected?

I guess the question is how likely it would be to ever get unarguable DNA from a situation like that. Obviously we don't know everything that's being reported.

I’m not sure. Closing speeches will probably finish tomorrow based on the speed of the prosecution’s, unless there is more procedural delay like this morning, then the judge will sum up and go through the directions to jury and how they should make their decision which will probably take another day. I can’t imagine the jury being sent out earlier than Thursday and there’s a lot of evidence and a lot of charges against two people so deliberation could well take a while.

And yeah, this case is sickening. I have a baby the same age as Preston and I know I should look away but I can’t. I just can’t imagine how anyone could be so cruel.

Does the defence get a closing statement and therefore the 'last say'?

Yes they do. I think in some cases the prosecution get a rebuttal and respond to the defence closing speech, but I could be wrong and hopefully someone with more knowledge than me will clarify.

I think the judge gave direction prior to the prosecution’s summing up

Hopefully there will be a verdict soon, either way it isn’t good for anybody’s state of mind for there to be uncertainty.

I would like to add to the list of people we feel for Varley’s own mother, who seems to have been quite bonded to Preston. She must be in anguish.

Re Preston’s birth mother - I don’t think doing an awful thing cancels sympathy for experiencing something awful, which may have been put across badly but I don’t really like the ‘oh well she isn’t deserving of pity’ lines I have read. Compassion for one can live alongside horror and revulsion of the other.

And if things ever are going to change for the better we need more compassion and understanding, not more hate.

Is Preston’s mum really sharing things about him on tik tok? I can’t see anything only random people taking about him.

I don’t think so.

They do, but I googled it:

The Judge's Summing-Up: The defence speech is never the last thing the jury hears before deliberating. After the defence finishes, the independent judge provides a completely neutral summing-up of the evidence and directions on the law. This cool, clinical summary intentionally de-escalates any emotional rhetoric from either side's closing argument.

I can’t continue to read the defence closing speech today, it’s so enraging.

God yes, just airily brushing everything off. I hope the judge can put everything in perspective for the jury.

I agree actually about JV’s mother. She seemed to immediately embrace Preston into the family and it seems from everyone that she was a warm and doting granny to him. But now not only is her beloved grandson dead, her son in court for abusing and murdering him. I don’t know how anyone would cope with that. I expected her to be called as a witness on JV’s behalf and I wonder if she didn’t want to, or they just decided that someone’s mum saying they’re great isn’t particularly compelling evidence.

Yes she is sharing stuff on tick tock
I'm not sure about JV mum he had a bite mark on his bottom anal injuries and bruising how can anyone not see that

Isn’t it just.

From what I've read the crux of all this is why Varley lied about the drowning which has been scientifically proven to be a lie. He could have just said he'd no idea what had occurred. If he's lying about that the logical conclusion is that he's got something to hide.

See I'm a granny and a doting one but if dd had brought dgs at Preston's age with bruising I would have asked about it. I wouldn't have thought there was a sinister reason but I would have asked if he was being properly supervised. I would mention it to any partner as well. JV's mother had had 6 dc, I have 5 I have a pretty good idea of how many bruises are typical in a toddler not even crawling as would she.

Easy to say in hindsight. I’m not trying to suggest you aren’t being truthful but I do think that there’s a lot of retrospective ‘well I would do / think this’ in cases like this.

This post here from the live reporting is how I feel about the bruising not being suspected by family members. Preston was not hidden from social services or medical professionals. He had three A&E appointments, another hospital appointment for his eye, I think there have been mentions of GP appointments for his reflux and CMPA too, plus the visits from social services. Preston was only with them for four months and that’s a lot of visibility from public services in that time and no professional flagged bruising as an issue, so I think it’s pretty reasonable that Preston’s gran also had no concerns. If people who are trained in which childhood bruising is likely to be accidental vs non-accidental have seen him regularly and not had concerns, why would a lay person who probably never thought her son would harm a baby?

"It’s a double standard to say the defendant should have been on notice when professionals were not concerned."

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/preston-davey-trial-live-updates-33844580#entry3948008

I also wonder how much she saw of him.

Its common within adoption to be encouraged not to see family and friends for a period after placement, and then when you do see them you are encouraged not to allow them to do any care. My family went on training from social care where they were told about not to expect to change nappies etc, and to allow us to meet the care needs

Obviously not all families stick to it, and as a previous poster pointed out its potentially one of the things that leaves new families vulnerable to depression etc. You suddenly have all the adjustment you get with a new born but with a walking talking toddler and are encouraged to hibernate, limit your family interactions and not have people help with child care. You get regular visits that feel like judgement from social care, have to report every bump and are constantly aware of the fact they arent legally yours yet and can be removed (often while birth parents are actively apealing the orders). Its probably also why the adopters had strong reactions to phone monitoring on this thread, because its often your main connection to sanity!

Whats concerning for me about this case is the fact that Preston was seen, by all acounts the protocols were followed and he was seen by at least the family, social worker, independent social worker, another safeguarding person on the ward, all the medics and staff on the three a and e trips, and fracture clinic doctors. Its not surprising that the grandmother also fell to the same conclusion to me either

And thinking about it more, while I’m definitely not at the grandchildren stage yet, I don’t really think that if I had a niece or nephew who was in Preston’s situation, I’d have had major concerns because I trust my family members. The idea that they would abuse a baby really wouldn’t be anywhere near my thoughts. If they said that the baby was clumsy and banged his head on a toybox I’d take it at face value. And especially so if they were overseen by so many services who wouldn’t have the same presumption based on a lifetime of love and trust that I do. I’d love to be able to post on this thread and say that I would have been able to stand up for Preston if he were in my extended family but I really can’t say that I would with any certainty.

Do we know what’s happening now? I’m assuming it’s quiet because the Jury are deliberating?

The trial isn’t sitting today. Tomorrow the judge will sum up the trial for the jury and go through the directions and route to verdict, and after that the jury can begin deliberating.