Man denies murdering partner and two kids

Jordan Monaghan, 30, is accused of murdering his partner Evie Adams, 23, with an overdose of tramadol and diazepam, six years after being accused of smothering two of his children.

Monaghan denied being in contact with another man, Tom Bank, and others to buy prescription drugs, instead telling police the contact was to do with planning a Halloween party or to do with work, Preston Crown Court heard.

Records gathered by detectives showed a series of WhatsApp, Snapchat or phone calls from the phone used by Monaghan on the day of, and in the days leading up to, the death of Miss Adams on October 24 2019.

But Monaghan denied he made any such calls as his police interviews were read out to the jury.

The digger driver denies the murder of his daughter, Ruby, aged 24 days, on New Year's Day 2013, and his son, Logan, aged 21 months, eight months later, while living with the children's mother, Laura Gray, 28.

He allegedly smothered both.

Five days before Miss Adams' death, a message was sent from Monaghan's phone asking for "pregabs", short for pregabalin, an anti-anxiety medication, but he denied sending the message.

The same day a message recovered from Mr Bank's phone from Monaghan's was also found, stating: "On car park. Red jeep."

Monaghan admitted to officers he used a red jeep hire car but denied the message was anything to do with him.

He also told officers he had never been in a WhatsApp group titled "UK Tablets".

He denied sending further messages sent from his phone and suggested it may have been someone else using his WhatsApp number.

He told detectives anyone could use a WhatsApp number from any phone.

On the night Miss Adams died at the house they shared in Hazel Close, Blackburn, Monaghan travelled to the Wigan area, and told officers he went to look at a drainage job at a gym car park in Hindley.

The prosecution say Monaghan was deliberately distancing himself from Miss Adams as the mother-of-one lay dying.

Detectives tracked Miss Adams' phone showing it travelled the same route as Monaghan's.

Monaghan denied to officers he took his partner's phone with him on the trip to Wigan.

Shortly after he returned, an ambulance was called to Hazel Close after Miss Adams was found collapsed on the bedroom floor.

Despite emergency resuscitation attempts by paramedics she was declared dead at 8.50pm.

The jury was read statements from gym owners in Hindley, all denying making any inquiries about a drainage job or knowing Jordan Monaghan.

Monaghan, of Belgrave Close, Blackburn, denies three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of cruelty to a third child, who cannot be identified, all between January 1 2013 and October 24 2019.

The trial was adjourned until Wednesday morning.