Dad accused of 3 murders ...including two of his own children

A FATHER who spoke of his grief after two of his young children died in the space of eight months has been charged with their murder.

Jordan Monaghan, 29, is also accused of killing his girlfriend and the attempted murder of a third child.

The shocking allegations emerged as former businessman Monaghan appeared in court for the first time yesterday.

In August 2013, Monaghan and his then fiancée, Laura Gray, 28, spoke of their heartbreak after discovering their 21month-old son, Logan, dead in his pram – just eight months after the death of their three-week-old daughter, Ruby, on New Year’s Day in 2012.

An inquest ruled that Ruby died of bronchopneumonia but post-mortem tests on Logan were inconclusive and no medical cause of death could be found.

After an inquest into Logan’s death, Monaghan told reporters: ‘It feels as if history is repeating itself. We are just in shock and completely devastated.

‘Me and Laura were just getting our life

‘We are in shock and completely devastated’

back together after losing Ruby. We knew she was ill but Logan was fine.’

Monaghan, a former director of two construction firms, has been charged with the murder of Ruby and Logan, and is also accused of twice allegedly trying to murder another baby girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in September and October 2016.

He is also charged with two counts of assault and cruelty by causing unnecessary suffering to the same child.

Monaghan, of Blackburn, Lancashire, is also accused of killing partner Evie Adams, 23. She was found dead in October 2019 and is not the mother of any of the children concerned.

Yesterday, he appeared before magistrates in Preston for a brief hearing where the charges were put to him.

Monaghan did not enter a formal plea but his defence lawyer said he would ‘firmly deny’ all charges. He was remanded in custody to appear tomorrow before a judge at Preston Crown Court.