Katie Simpson police investigation was flawed and failed family, says Ombudsman
family handoutsThe police investigation into the death of showjumping competitor Katie Simpson was flawed and left her family disappointed, a report by the police ombudsman has found.
It found multiple failures, including a willingness to believe the claims of Jonathan Creswell, who was later charged with her murder.
The ombudsman also said police knew from the early stages of the investigation that Cresswell had a previous conviction for assaulting another woman in 2010.
The report said a “pervasive lack of investigative mentality” led to her death in 2020. It was considered a suicide for months.
The family’s lawyer said it had been a “long and difficult journey” to get to this point.
“The findings released by the Ombudsman today are a stepping stone in the Simpson family’s long and winding road to justice.
“For the Simpsons, it is a deeply traumatizing experience as Katie’s killer, Jonathan Cresswell, lived among them in the weeks following her sad death. The spreading terror.”
As a result, three police officers have been disciplined.
The ombudsman said it had received two new complaints, one related to an initial investigation which included allegations against a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) that could amount to criminal misconduct.
It added that the PSNI investigation was hampered by a misleading working assumption that Ms Simpson’s injuries were self-inflicted, despite “multiple reports from members of the public” suggesting Ms Simpson was the victim of Cresswell’s controlling and coercive behaviour.
Some police officers also expressed concern that she was a victim of coercive control.
As well as these suspicions, medical staff also expressed concerns about the manner in which Ms Simpson was injured, the watchdog said.
Police were warned early on that she was unlikely to survive.
However, they did not adequately consider collecting physical evidence from her body, including taking blood samples and photos of her injuries.
How did Katie Simpson die?
Ms Simpson, 21, from Tynan, Co Armagh, was taken to hospital with serious injuries following an incident at a house in County Londonderry in August 2020.
Her sister’s partner Cresswell called 999 and pretended to find her hanging on the stairwell.
But police later concluded he beat her before strangling her.
Katie was taken to Altna Gelvin Hospital, where she died six days later, never regaining consciousness.
Red flags were raised several times before Creswell was eventually charged with murder.
creswell is Found dead at home The 36-year-old went on trial for murder in April.
Three women accused of helping him cover up murder received a suspended sentence.
Katie’s phone ‘hidden in the wild’
The ombudsman’s investigation found “no effective search of Katie’s address” was carried out after her death and communications equipment was not seized.
Police found two mobile phones but these were “older devices” used by Ms Simpson and no other action was taken at the time to find her latest phone.
The watchdog’s report said that after Cresswell was arrested and interviewed by police in March 2021, her phone was later found “hidden in a field.”
A car linked to the investigation has never been forensically examined.
Death ‘will be recorded as suicide’
Hugh Hume, chief executive of the Police Ombudsman, said: “Had it not been for concerns raised by a small number of people both within and outside the PSNI, Katie’s death would have likely been recorded as a suicide.”
“This will deny her family and friends the opportunity for justice that Creswell’s death ultimately robbed them of.
Mr Hume added: “There appears to be a general lack of investigative thinking which resulted in deficiencies in the identification and retrieval of evidence, management and identification of the scene, a reluctance to accept Jonathan Cresswell’s accounts at face value and ultimately confusion over ownership. “Police investigation. “
What happened to the PSNI officers?
The ombudsman initially recommended that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) take disciplinary action against six police officers for their handling of the case.
However, in the case of one officer, “no wrongdoing was found.”
Two of the officers have retired and their disciplinary proceedings cannot continue.
Of the three people disciplined by the PSNI, one received a written warning, one received action to improve performance and another received management advice.
“Not curious enough about the profession”
Police Chief Jon Boucher has admitted there were “some flaws” in the early stages of the police investigation and has Meet Ms Simpson’s family to apologize.
In August, he told a meeting of the Police Commission of Northern Ireland that the PSNI displayed an “unprofessional and curious” mentality.
Some people, including relatives of Ms Simpson, had expressed concerns about Cresswell before his arrest.
he Have a criminal record In 2010, he was arrested for assaulting a woman.
The ombudsman’s investigation began in March 2021, culminating in a 1,400-page document being sent to the PSNI.
It found misconduct by a number of officers and their cases were handled by the PSNI’s Professional Standards Unit.
The investigation follows a series of complaints from Ms Simpson’s family and others relating to police not treating her death as a homicide at an early stage.
They are launching civil proceedings against the PSNI.
It is understood that a number of further complaints related to this case have recently been made to the Ombudsman.
These new complaints are currently under investigation.
