Three police officers are facing misconduct proceedings over the investigation into the death of showjumper Katie Simpson, as PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher said it was ‘abundantly clear’ that the police got things wrong.
This follows an inquiry by the Police Ombudsman.
Mr Boutcher told his oversight body, the Policing Board, that he would be meeting soon with the family of Ms Simpson to discuss failures in the investigation.
Ms Simpson, who was from Tynan, Co Armagh, died in hospital almost a week after an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney, on August 3 2020.
Her murder was originally thought by police to have been a suicide.
Three police officers face misconduct proceedings over death of 21-year-old showjumper Katie Simpson, who died six days after being viciously attacked in a house in Country Londonderry back in August 2020
Jonathan Creswell, 36, was accused of murdering and raping Simspon, but he died just days into his trial earlier this year
Jonathan Creswell, who was accused of Simspon’s murder, had two children with her older sister, Christina.
The trial of Jonathan Creswell, 36, over the rape and murder of Ms Simpson ended in April following his sudden death.
Mr Boutcher said: ‘This was a shocking crime with a devastating impact on that family.
‘The crime itself was shocking enough to endure for that family, the aftermath of the reporting and the examination of how the matter was initially dealt with, no doubt has brought even more upset and trauma and that is not lost on me.
‘I am meeting the family in the near future and very much look forward to talking to them about what we did and did not do and what we got wrong.’
Mr Boutcher said he was limited about what he could say about the case as he was still waiting for the publication of a Police Ombudsman report.
But he said: ‘It is abundantly clear to me that we got things wrong from the beginning.
‘There were a number of shortcomings in our initial investigation.
‘We relied far too much on the lack of any presenting medical evidence around what had happened to Katie when she was first admitted to hospital and on the forensic post mortem that was conducted on August 11 2020.’
He added: ‘We were not professionally curious enough and we did not do enough initially in responding to some of the concerns that were being raised.
‘Even our systems failed to identify Creswell’s previous significant and related serious offending.
‘In my view this is less about individual officers actions and more about this organisation not getting this right.
‘I can’t apologise enough to the family.’
Mr Boutcher said his concerns were not just about how the PSNI responded to the death of Ms Simpson.
He said: ‘It is how a man previously convicted of such a heinous and similar crime, from what we now know was a controlling and coercive individual almost on an industrial scale, how he became something of a poster boy accepted in society and no-one put their hand up and reported him.’
Creswell had been charged with the rape and murder of Katie Simspon and was two days into hos trial when he was found dead at this Londonderry home in April under non-suspicious circumstances.
Katie remained unconscious for a week before her death on 9 August 2020. Later that day, Jonathan posted a Facebook status gushing about Katie
Londonderry Crown Court sitting in Coleraine had heard Creswell has previously had ‘illicit’ sexual relations with Katie and shared two children with her sister Christina.
He then became angry after he learned the 21-year-old, who lived with Jonathan and Christina, was in a relationship with someone else.
Sam Magee KC, a lawyer for the prosecution, told the jury that Creswell had raped, strangled and killed Katie. The court also heard that Creswell then tried to ‘cover up’ what happened by claiming Ms Simpson’s death ‘was as a result of suicide.’
Katie remained unconscious for a week before her death on 9 August 2020. Later that day, Jonathan posted a Facebook status gushing about Katie.
It read: ‘One of the best friends I could ever ask for, one of the most talented horse women I ever met.
‘Best hunting buddy in the world, fearless in the saddle, fearless across the country.
‘Hardest worker born, best aunty to my [two] children.
‘Christina Simpson [and] myself and the world are going to struggle without you beautiful.
‘We love you so much. Can’t wait to see you again.’
The post, which was shared on his Facebook page, was signed off with numerous kissing emojis.
According to the prosecution, Creswell pretended he was ‘the unfortunate individual’ who discovered Ms Simpson’s body.
Mr Magee added: ‘It is the prosecution case the defendant raped Katie. He murdered her. He made efforts to cover up what he had done by trying to make her death look like a suicide. In the hours leading up to death he was with Katie.
‘He strangled her and created a fiction, pretending to others that he found Katie hanging in a stairwell.
‘He pretended to medical staff that she had taken her own life. We say he was the individual who did an act of violent rage which took her life at the age of just 21.’
According to BBC News, a post-mortem revealed that the injuries to Katie’s limbs were ‘consistent to being struck with a rod-type implement’.
Katie’s mother Noeleen said: ‘Katie’s passion was horses, her friends, her family – going out with friends and socialising.
‘She was a real people person. She could talk to anybody and it didn’t matter their age.
‘Katie would have just lit up the room. I know everybody says that but when you think of her you smile.’
