In a devastating emotional climax to the defence case Anne Whyte KC delivered a closing speech that left several people in Preston Crown Court wiping away tears. She told the jury that if you trust and love someone then you are the last person to suspect them, painting John McGowan-Fazakerley as a quiet, decent and caring man who was often at work, had almost no experience with children and placed complete faith in his partner and in the army of professionals who regularly saw Preston.

She emphasised that Preston was a highly visible child; no one was hiding him. Guilty by ᴀssociation alone, she insisted, is simply not justice. Whyte KC revealed that her client had initially believed the child died from secondary drowning and had trusted every social worker, health visitor and medic involved in Preston’s care.

She urged the jury to consider the human reality of a working man who relied on others and on the professional system that was supposed to protect the little boy. The speech has been described by those present as the most human moment of the entire seven-week trial, forcing everyone to confront the difference between living under the same roof and actually knowing what was happening. With the jury about to retire, the raw plea about trust, love and the danger of convicting by ᴀssociation has left the courtroom on a knife-edge.

Outside, politicians have seized on the speech to renew calls for better support and monitoring of adoptive placements, arguing that the case exposes how easily a decent but inexperienced parent can be left completely in the dark. The final words of Anne Whyte KC continue to echo as the judge prepares to sum up and the panel of ten jurors prepares for the most difficult deliberations of their lives.