Father, 30, 'faked suicide note for ex-girlfriend, 23, after murdering her and their two young children', linguistics expert tells court
- Jordan Monaghan is accused of smothering his daughter Ruby and his son Logan
- The 30-year-old is also accused of murdering his partner six years later in 2019
- Today the jury heard claims Monaghan had faked ex Evie Adams' suicide note
- Monaghan has denied three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of cruelty to a child, all between January 2013 and October 2019
A father charged with murdering his two young children and his ex-partner was today accused of faking her suicide note to try and escape justice in court.
Jordan Monaghan, 30, is said to have attempted to disguise his own writing style and copy phrases used by Evie Adams.
A jury at Preston Crown Crown, Lancs, was told that Monaghan's idiosyncratic style was 'consistent, highly distinctive' from that of Evie's 'suicide note' from October 22, 2019.
And Dr Isabel Picornell – an expert in forensic linguistics – said she believed he was 'writing to disguise his own style and, if possible, adopt his ex's.
She added that she thought Miss Adams did not write the note because of the 'significant dissimilarities' in her usual writing style.
Mr Duncan Smith, QC, prosecuting, asked Dr Picornell – president of the International Association of Forensic Linguistics: 'Was Jordan Mongahan's style consistent with the letter of October 22?'
Monaghan denied the murders of his children Ruby and Logan (left) in 2013 and the murder of his new partner Evie Adams (right) in 2019 and the trial continues at Preston Crown Court
Laura Gray (pictured with accused killer Jordan Monaghan in 2013) told a jury her baby Ruby was 'fine' just hours before being found dead after Monaghan had fed her for the first time
She replied: 'Yes, it was.'
Mr Smith then asked how consistent was Jordan Monaghan's style with the suicide note?
Dr Picornell said: 'Looking at it collectively, it is consistent, highly distinctive.'
The jury were told it was the on the fourth level of consistency – the second highest.
Share this article
Dr Picornell added: 'There are no dissimilarities in style and features and I have considered these dissimilarities on the basis there is going to be disguise in the text.
'My conclusion takes into account the issue of disguise which I explain the dissimilarities between the style of the letter and Mr Monaghan's style and those dissimilarities are not significant.
'I considered the possibility of disguise given that the style of the letter is not consistent with the style of Miss Adams and to perhaps accommodate Miss Adam's style.'
Mr Smith asked if the format of the suicide note was consistent with Miss Adam's style and Dr Picornell replied: 'No, it is not.
Jordan Monaghan, 30, denies three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and two counts of cruelty to a child and is standing trial at Preston Crown Court (pictured)
'There no significant similarities and there are substantial dissimilarities and it is not compatible at all.'
Dr Picornell said on the scale of consistency and distinctiveness of styles, Miss Adam 'was at the very bottom.'
Dr Picornell said Miss Adam's writing style, phrases used and punctuation was not compatible at all with the letter.
The trial was told how Dr Picornell had compared handwritten notes, diary extracts, and social media posts by both Evie Adams and
Monaghan with the suicide note. She looked at the idiosyncrasies styles of how people write, their habits, how they formed phrases using certain words and the use of punctuation.
Dr Picornell said it was 'extremely difficult' for someone to hide their own linguistic style while trying to copy another person, and 'the longer the document went on, it was practically impossible.'
Monaghan, of Blackburn, Lancs., is charged with murdering his three-week-old daughter Ruby and 21-month-old son Logan. Ruby died at home on New Year's Day in 2013, and her brother Logan died eight months later on August 17.
He is also charged with murdering his ex-partner Evie Adams in October 2019, and two counts of attempted murder of a third child, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
He denies all the charges.
The trial continues.
