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The Police Ombudsman has criticised police for their handling of the investigation into the death of showjumper Katie Simpson, identifying multiple weaknesses in their approach. Jonathan Creswell, who was later charged with Simpson’s murder, had been convicted of assaulting another woman in 2010 before he committed the crime. However, the report claims that police failed to recognize this and instead preferred to believe Creswell’s version of events. Furthermore, the police misleadingly treated Simpson’s death as suicide for several months, despite warnings about Creswell’s controlling and coercive behavior.
Katie’s mother, Noleen Mullan, spoke to reporters and expressed disappointment that there has been no accountability. In a statement following the report’s publication, the family’s solicitor Kevin Winters described the findings as a “stepping stone on what’s still a long torturous road to justice for the Simpson family”. Disciplinary action has been taken against three police officers as a result of the investigation, including one member of the force who has been accused of criminal misconduct.
The investigation report shows the police had failed to conduct “effective searches” at Simpson’s address after her death and failed to seize communication devices. The report further claims that her mobile phone was later found, “hidden in a field”. The Police Ombudsman’s investigation began in March 2021, following several complaints lodged by Simpson’s family and others who felt the local police did not treat her death as murder from the outset.
The Simpson family is bringing a civil action against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), while the PSNI has opened up its own investigation in response to the report. Chief Constable Jon Boutcher apologised to Simpson’s family following his admission of the low standard of the PSNI’s investigation in August 2021. The report, which detailed the investigation’s shortcomings, found that the PSNI was “not professionally curious enough” throughout its process. A number of further complaints relating to the case have allegedly been lodged with the ombudsman, with resultant investigations still pending
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