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True Crime

The Trial

The Crime Desk

The Trial goes behind the headlines of some of the biggest trials in the world. We take you into the courtroom, bringing you the detail as the evidence unfolds, examining key moments and carrying out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts.


For ad-free listening to The Trial, exclusive bonus episodes every week, and complete access to previous series of the show, subscribe to The Crime Desk now. Visit www.thecrimedesk.com to become a member.

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

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  • 112 episodes
  • Updated Friday

Episodes112

Newest first
  • May 22 · 29 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: Jamie Varley

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 20 · 15 min

    BONUS: The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: "You've killed him Jamie."

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’) 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. 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.

  • May 19 · 37 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: “Frozen Watchfulness”

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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. Seriously Popular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • May 15 · 38 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: Was Preston bitten and abused?

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • May 12 · 20 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: “That’s Bullsh*t”

    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." Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • May 8 · 34 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: “Was it you?”

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’) 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.

  • May 5 · 14 min

    Update Episode - The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: "It's my Fault"

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • May 1 · 41 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: The Phone Footage

    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. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • April 21 · 29 min

    The Tragic Life Of Preston Davey: A “Sinister Tragedy”

    In this episode Caroline and Liz have the start of a brand new trial and a new series. The tragic death of a baby boy called Preston Davey is at the centre of this trial. Did the two men who adopted him abuse him? And did one of those men murder him? Jamie Varley and John McGowan-Fazakerley deny harming Preston and in this opening episode we have the details of what they’ve been accused of. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’) Presenter: Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull Actor: Ollie Sykes Editor: Chelsey Ranore Producer: 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.

  • April 21 · 1 min

    NEW TRIAL: The Tragic Life of Preston Davey

    Caroline and Liz are back with a new trial and a new series of the podcast about the tragic life - and death - of a baby boy. Preston Davey died aged 13 months old, allegedly at the hands one of the men who adopted him. It's alleged Jamie Varley, a high school teacher, murdered Preston and that he and his partner, John McGowan-Fazakerley, abused him. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • April 17 · 43 min

    The Southport Dance School: They Were Failed

    In this episode Caroline and Liz discuss the detailed findings from an inquiry into the horrific attack on a dance school in Southport in 2024. They dissect Sir Adrian Fulford’s 700 page report in which he outlines the failures which allowed Axel Rudakubana to murder 3 littie girls and attack many more. From the agencies who didn’t comprehend the danger he posed, the staff who failed to have professional curiosity, the police who failed to arrest him two years earlier and his parents who knew he hoarded weapons - but failed to report him. In short the deaths of Alice, Elsie and Bebe were entirely preventable. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • April 14 · 31 min

    The Chief Constable vs the MP

    In this episode Caroline and Liz have the unprecedented intervention of Cheshire Police Chief Constable Mark Roberts in the ongoing debate about Lucy Letby. In a letter he has accused the MP David Davis of misleading parliament and spreading misinformation about the force's investigation into Lucy Letby. It comes after Mr Davis spoke in the House of Commons two weeks ago claiming Cheshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service had not followed proper procedures in their investigation. But the MP has now been told to correct the record and accused of failing to fact check. Subscribe via thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com 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.

  • April 13 · 24 min

    EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: The Nottingham Inquiry - “I am not going to stop till we get justice”

    This is a preview of the latest Trial+ episode; The Nottingham Inquiry - “I am not going to stop till we get justice”. The full episode is available exclusively to Crime Desk subscribers. To find out more, visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/ In June 2023, a series of unthinkable attacks in Nottingham killed three people and left three others seriously injured. Students Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber were fatally stabbed as they walked home from a night out. The attacker then went on to kill school caretaker Ian Coates and steal his van, which was later used to drive into pedestrians in the city centre. The man responsible, Valdo Calocane, had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. He was later given an indefinite hospital order after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Before the public inquiry into the Nottingham Attacks is due to restart, Caroline and Ryan are joined by Grace’s father, Sanjoy Kumar. With his experience as a GP and a forensic medical examiner, he describes a series of missed opportunities across multiple agencies, including police and mental health services, arguing that warning signs were repeatedly overlooked. He says that the Nottingham Attacks were totally avoidable- and is determined to get justice for his daughter. This episode is available exclusively to Crime Desk subscribers. To find out more, visit https://plus.thecrimedesk.com/ Follow us on Tiktok @DailyMailCrime Follow us on instagram @TheTrialPod Subscribe to our YouTube channel @TheCrimeDesk 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. Email us thetrial@dailymail.com Whatsapp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’) Presenters: Caroline Cheetham and Ryan Hooper Producer: 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.