Baby Preston Davey did not die from drowning, an expert defence witness has told court - after his adopted father accused of sexually abusing and murdering the child claimed he left him in the bath and returned to find him submerged. Jamie Varley, 37, told police he had left 13-month-old Preston alone for two or three minutes before reentering the room to find him underwater. But he did not appear to have swallowed water consistent with drowning when hospital medics worked for an hour to resuscitate him, Preston Crown Court heard.Prosecutors alleged the drowning was a story invented by Varley, with a post-mortem examination finding around 40 trauma injuries on the baby's body.Varley is accused of the routine physical, emotional and sexual abuse of the child he was adopting with his partner, 32-year-old John McGowan-Fazakerley. Varley denies murder while his co-accused denies causing or allowing the death of a child, with both accused of sexual abuse. Both men deny all offences.Professor Jack Crane, the former state pathologist in Northern Ireland, called by the defence, told the jury an injury to Preston's throat could have been caused by the insertion of fingers into his mouth to clear vomit.He also said it was 'well recognised' that intubating a patient – inserting a breathing tube as was done to Preston in hospital – can cause such an injury.