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

A coronial report revealed that the victim, 25-year-old Desiree Manozo, was pregnant when she died, according to The Daily Telegraph via Daily Mail.

It was previously reported that Manozo had a “heated argument” with her fiance, 53-year-old ex-Marrickville cop Jamie Flanagan, in their bedroom the day before she died.

Police report stated that the couple would often have arguments regarding the custody of their one-year-old daughter. The suspect wanted to take the girl to Australia after discovering that Manozo was pregnant.

“They were fighting in front of us. One more thing, they were fighting because one of my sisters told Jamie ‘Congratulations, she’s pregnant.’ He said, ‘Baby again?’ Then he left,” Manozo’s sister, Leizel, said. “When he came back, that’s when the fight about custody over the baby happened.”

Reports also said that Manozo accused Flanagan of having an affair with another woman.

After her death, Flanagan reportedly asked her family to call the police and tell them that she hanged herself. Upon arriving, authorities found Manozo hanging with three neckties from a cupboard door at their home in Subic, in the province of Zambales, Philippines on July 21.

Autopsy report released by the medico-legal officer showed that Manozo was already dead before she was hanged, reported Rappler. The official cause of death was strangulation and asphyxiation.

Flanagan was arrested by the Subic Municipal Police Station led by Staff Sergeant Ely Dagan on suspicion of killing the victim the afternoon of July 21, said Major Gilbert Diaz. He was put in custody and denied all the allegations.

Subic police said that they would file a homicide case against the man, but a new report suggests that the authorities have not yet ruled out the possibility of upgrading his charges to premeditated murder, which could land him 20 to 40 years behind bars in the Philippines.

According to sergeant Dagan, Flanagan demanded an independent investigation adding that he has a friend who is allegedly regarded as the best pathologist in Australia as well as a judge.

Flanagan’s friends are supporting him and believe that this is a set up. They also added that he has never been violent in the past.

Images via Facebook / Jamie Flano