Jordan Monaghan, 30, was sentenced to life in prison after attempting to murder a third child, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Monaghan was found guilty of the charges after a 10-week trial in December.

He was initially sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 40 years.

The Attorney General decided earlier this year to review the sentence, which had been described as too lenient.

Monaghan’s minimum sentence was increased to 48 years as a result of today’s decision.

The court heard during his trial that Monaghan smothered his three-week-old daughter Ruby Monaghan in January 2013 and his 21-month-old son Logan seven months later in August 2013. According to the prosecution, he murdered the children in order to get closer to his former partner, the children’s mother, after their relationship became strained.

He attempted to justify his murderous actions by portraying both deaths as tragic natural causes.

The police investigated both of these deaths under their national joint child deaths protocols, including a forensic post-mortem examination, but the findings at the time were given as natural causes (bronchial pneumonia for Ruby) and undetermined for Logan.

Due to a lack of positive medical evidence, the deaths of Ruby and Logan were ruled non-suspicious following the initial investigations.

Monaghan then attempted to murder a third child in 2016. She survived but, for legal reasons, cannot be identified.

Following the attempted murder of the third child, police investigated the deaths of the first two children, and additional expert evidence strongly supported the fact that they died as a result of Monaghan purposefully restricting their breathing. A murder investigation was launched by Lancashire’s Force Major Investigation Team.

Monaghan was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder and was released on bail pending the completion of a thorough investigation that included additional forensic expert evidence and prosecution advice.

Monaghan struck again in 2019 while police and prosecutors were building a case against him, killing his then-girlfriend Evie Adams with a cocktail of illegally obtained prescription drugs, including tramadol and diazepam. She had just turned 23.

Despite bail conditions requiring Monaghan not to associate with Ms Adams and an injunction prohibiting him from contacting her, and despite police warning her of the danger he posed, the pair continued to see each other.

Jordan Monaghan and Evie Adams already had a non-molestation order in place, which was granted in April 2018, and Monaghan was arrested and sentenced to two months in prison in July 2019 for violating it.

Ms Adams was also offered refuge accommodation on two occasions, but both placements fell through because she continued to see Monaghan in secret – a sign of his controlling behaviour.

Monaghan was also monitored while on bail, and a number of disclosures were made to other women with whom he had attempted to form relationships.

Monaghan attempted to cover up his crime once more by making it appear as if Evie Adams had committed suicide by forging a suicide note.

A full Major Investigation Team investigation into Evie’s death was launched, which resulted in the discovery of critical evidence that led to his conviction.

Monaghan was charged with murder, attempted murder, and child cruelty in January 2021, after two years of extensive and extremely complex investigations and consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service. The crime was committed in Blackburn.

“Our thoughts continue to be with the families and loved ones of Ruby, Logan, and Evie Adams,” Det Chief Inspector Pauline Stables of Lancashire’s Force Major Investigation Team said.

Jordan Monaghan planned to kill his victims in secret and then went to great lengths to conceal his actions. We were only able to prove that the deaths of both the children and Evie Adams were premeditated murder after conducting extremely complex and lengthy investigations.” It is encouraging that the sentence has been reviewed and increased by the Court of Appeal to reflect his truly heinous and wicked crimes.
“Once again, my thoughts are with the families of all Monaghan’s victims.”