Jordan Monaghan trial: Alleged killer denies sourcing overdose pills

A man accused of killing his partner with an overdose told police he did not ask people to buy him black market prescription drugs, a court had heard.

Jordan Monaghan, 30, is accused of killing Evie Adams, 23, with tramadol and diazepam. He is also alleged to have smothered his 24-day-old daughter Ruby and 21-month-old son Logan.

Preston Crown Court heard he told police he did not make calls or send messages asking others to buy pills.

He denies three counts of murder.

Mr Monaghan is accused of smothering Ruby in January 2013 and Logan eight months later. He is also alleged to have murdered Ms Adams on 24 October 2019.

The court was shown records gathered by detectives, which detailed a series of calls via WhatsApp, Snapchat and a mobile network from a phone used by Mr Monaghan in the days before Ms Adams's death.

The jury heard that five days before Ms Adams's death, a message was sent from Mr Monaghan's phone asking for "pregabs", a shortening of anti-anxiety medication pregabalin.

The same day, another message recovered from the phone of one of Mr Monaghan's contacts stated: "On car park. Red jeep."

During police interviews, which were read to the jury, Mr Monaghan denied he made the calls or sent the message.

He admitted using a red jeep hire car, but denied the message was to do with him.

He told officers he had never been in a WhatsApp group called "UK Tablets" and said someone else may have used his WhatsApp number.

He also told police that on the night Ms Adams died at the house she shared with Mr Monaghan in Blackburn, he travelled to the Wigan area to look at a drainage job at a gym car park in Hindley.

Shortly after he returned, an ambulance was called to Ms Adams, who was found collapsed on the bedroom floor.

She was declared dead after paramedics were unable to resuscitate her.

The prosecution said Mr Monaghan had been deliberately distancing himself from Ms Adams as the mother-of-one lay dying and that tracking of her phone showed it travelled the same route.

Mr Monaghan denied to officers he took her phone with him.

The jury was read statements from gym owners in Hindley, who denied making any inquiries about a drainage job or knowing Mr Monaghan.

The 30-year-old, of Belgrave Close, also denies two counts of attempted murder and two counts of cruelty to a third child, who cannot be identified.

The trial continues.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [email protected]