Girlfriend ‘murdered’ by retired Sydney cop in Subic was pregnant

Jamie Flanagan and his girlfriend Desiree Manozo
Jamie Flanagan and his girlfriend Desiree Manozo. Picture via Facebook.

The Filipina girlfriend of a retired Australian policeman was pregnant when he allegedly staged her death to make it look like suicide.

Ex-Sydney cop Jamie Flanagan is accused of killing his fiancee, Desiree Manozo, before making it appear that she had hanged herself at their home in Subic on July 21. 

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An autopsy has now revealed that 25-year-old Ms Manozo was pregnant when she died, The Daily Telegraph has reported.  

As we previously reported, relatives told police that the couple had a “heated argument” the day before she was found dead. 

Ms Manozo’s sister Leizel told police that the couple were arguing about custody of their one-year-old daughter, and that Mr Flanagan wanted to take her to Australia. 

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According to a report on the website Rappler, she was found the following morning by one of her two children from a previous relationship. She had three ties around her neck that were attached to a cupboard door handle.

After the body had been removed by police, a preliminary autopsy concluded that the cause of her death was strangulation and asphyxiation, not caused by hanging.

Police returned to the Santa Monica Subdivision property and arrested Mr Flanagan. He was initially charged with homicide, which would cover a situation in which death was caused by a ‘spur of the moment’ action.

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However, this was later upgraded to premeditated murder, which carries a prison term of up to 40 years. 

Mr Flanagan denies the allegations against him and has called for an independent investigation.

Many of his friends in Subic have issued messages of support and believe he may have been set up, stressing that he has no history of violence.   

According a self-penned biography, Flanagan moved to the Philippines in 2017 after struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder brought on by his experiences in the police force. 

He had a one-year-old daughter with Ms Mañoso, and also described himself as a “father” to her children from a previous relationship.

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