Police review three cases recorded as suicide | Global News Avenue

Following the Katie Simpson case, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that it is reviewing three suicide cases.

The Police Ombudsman’s report into the death of a County Armagh showjumping competitor has found that police investigations Flawed and a disappointment to her family.

The report said a “pervasive lack of investigative mentality” led to her death in 2020, which was treated as a suicide for months.

Jonathan Cresswell was later charged with her murder.

creswell is He was found dead at his home in April at the age of 36 during his trial.

“Following the case of Katie Simpson, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is reviewing three cases that have been recorded as suicides,” police said in a statement to BBC News Northern Ireland on Friday.

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.

Ms Simpson was taken to Altna Gelvin Hospital, where she died six days later and never regained consciousness.

Red flags were raised several times before Creswell was eventually charged with murder.

Alliance member for the Police Commission Nuala McAllister said she had privately provided the police chief with a list of deaths she believed needed further examination.

She said individual police officers and family members gave her the names.

She told BBC News NI: “I’m very confident now that we’ve had reassurances, we’ve appointed senior investigating officers, we have family liaison officers so that families feel heard.”

“But going forward, it’s a wider issue and we need to have full confidence in the PSNI.

“To do that we need to make sure that the PSNI’s practices, their procedures are up to standard in actually addressing violence against women and girls and where they fail, where women die, every avenue is explored, every avenue is explored Pathways. Reasonable circumstances and all the explanations for what happened to that woman.”

DUP Policing Committee member Cheryl Brownlee told Good morning ulster wednesday: “The board has been brought up numerous times regarding various cases that may have similar threads to the Katie Simpson case.

“We have reported these circumstances and police are investigating further.”

She added: “I think it’s really important if anyone feels there has been a failure to get in touch and raise those concerns.”