Jordan Monaghan: Father handed three life sentences for murdering his children and partner
A father who murdered two of his children and his partner has been handed three mandatory life sentences and ordered to serve a minimum of 40 years before parole.
Jordan Monaghan, from Blackburn, has been convicted of killing two of his children and his new girlfriend with a drugs overdose six years later.
The 30-year-old construction worker smothered his 24-day old daughter, Ruby, on New Year’s Day 2013 as she slept, while his partner and the child’s mother, was asleep upstairs.
Eight months later he took his 21-month-old son Logan to a public swimming pool and, while alone in a changing room cubicle, also murdered the child by smothering.
In October 2019, he murdered his new partner Evie Adams, 23, by giving her a cocktail of deadly prescription drugs including tramadol and diazepam that he had bought illegally on the black market.
Monaghan, from Blackburn, denied all the charges at Preston Crown Court, but was convicted following a ten-week trial.
He was found guilty of the three murders and two counts of attempted murder to a third child who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Sentencing him Mr Justice Goose said: "Your victims were your children, then your partner.
"It is difficult to know why you carried out these offences. Having listened to the evidence in this trial, in short you are an exceptionally controlling, selfish and cruel man.
"The trigger to these offences were your volatile relationships.
"The consequences were the snuffing out of the lives of two very young children and a young woman."
"I loved every single day I had with them": a statement from the mother of Ruby and Logan Monaghan, Laura Gray, is read out by DC Sam Matthews of Lancashire Police.
Both children's deaths were investigated as sudden and unexplained events, but Ruby's death was attributed to bronchiolitis and Logan's remained "unascertained".
They had been seen by medics in the days and months before their deaths, but other than usual childhood illnesses no serious medical condition was found.
A review was carried out by Lancashire Police after further information came to light and Monaghan was arrested and bailed on suspicion of murder in January 2018.
In her victim impact statement, parts of which were read to the court, the mother of both children Laura Gray said: “All I ever wanted to be was to be a mum and give my children the love and opportunities I never had growing up.
“When the children were born they consumed my world. I loved every single day I had with them."
During the investigation, Monaghan began a relationship with mother-of-one Evie Adams who had suffered "chronic abuse" in her early life.
Police warned her not to be with him and a court order was made banning contact.
However, the relationship continued and, while on bail for the murder of his children, Monaghan killed Miss Adams after she threatened to dump him.
The defendant bought strong prescription drugs on the black market via WhatsApp and other contacts, which killed Miss Adams on 24 October 2019.
He then faked a suicide note from Miss Adams, which he said he found while removing the couple's favourite photo of themselves to place in her coffin.
A statement is read out by Bernard Adams, the father of Evie Adams who was killed by Jordan Monaghan in 2019.
After the sentencing, Benard Adams, the father of Evie Adams, said: "It has taken us over two years to get this case to court and it has taken Laura and her family a lot longer.
"Our thoughts are with Laura and the Gray family as we know what they have been going through.
"Despite the conviction it will not bring back our daughter Evie or ease the pain of her not being with us, or Ruby knowing her mother as she grows up."
Monaghan was re-arrested in January this year and charged with all three murders, which he denied.
The trial judge, Mr Justice Goose, ordered the defendant to be brought from prison to the court for sentencing.