At least three separate complaints were made to police in the days after a dying Katie Simpson was brought to hospital alerting police to the possibility she was violently and fatally attacked, the Irish News has learned.
The death of the 21-year-old show jumper was initially treated as possible suicide after Jonathan Creswell brought her to Altnagelvin Hospital on August 3, 2020, the young woman partially clothed and unconscious in the front passenger seat of her car. She died six days later.
Widespread concerns over the PSNI investigation into Ms Simpson’s death have been raised, while a Police Ombudsman investigation has found potential misconduct by several officers.
A senior police officer told the Policing Board earlier this month one complaint was made to the PSNI following Ms Simpson’s arrival at the hospital.
However, the Irish News understands there were at least three credible complaints while multiple medical staff concluded she was not a suicide victim. Police forensic experts backed this up and her murderer’s brutally violent background was flagged to police.
None of the medical staff are believed to have been interviewed by police before it was concluded her death was non-suspicious just days after she passed away.
Creswell (36), accused of the young woman’s murder, is believed to have taken his own life just days after his murder and rape trial began in late April.
In a statement to the Policing Board, PSNI Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck replied: “For confirmation and clarity, I can confirm that, while Katie Simpson was being treated in hospital, a member of the public did contact police with concerns regarding the incident, suggesting that it may not have been a suicide attempt.”
However, the Irish News has learned police were contacted by the journalist Tanya Fowles, as well as a leading member of the show jumping community and a separate member of the medical staff at Altnagelvin Hospital, all pleading with police to investigate the circumstances of her injuries as suspicious and stating that it was not a suicide attempt. It is also believed there was a fourth contact.
ACC Beck told the policing board this single complaint “was flagged with [Criminal Investigation Department] officers and, as a result of that, a forensic post-mortem examination was directed and a CID detective attended that post-mortem, which was conducted on August 11, to help and advise the pathologist”.
He added the the pathologist’s report and other evidence led to the conclusion the death was not suspicious. However, the High Court later heard a pathologist concluded it was a “possible hanging” and that this was largely on the basis of Creswell’s word.
In a statement to the Irish News, ACC Beck said: “The death of Katie Simpson has left a family devastated. They have been robbed of their loved one, and continue to suffer unimaginably. My thoughts are, first and foremost, with Katie’s family at this time.”
He added: “I can confirm that we have received an investigation file from the Office of the Police Ombudsman, which is currently being considered. It would therefore be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.”
From multiple sources and court reports, The Irish News has pieced together details of the widespread deep concerns raised about Ms Simpson’s injuries and about Creswell.
When Creswell arrived at the hospital in Derry with the near lifeless Ms Simpson in the back of a car on August 3 2020, the treating consultant was reportedly astonished.
The consultant had “never encountered someone putting a person into a car, unconscious and not breathing”. Creswell told them he had found her hanging at his home he shared with both Ms Simpson and her sister, in Lettershandoney ten minutes from the city.
Doctors “found him vague in detail” while staff concluded she “did not present as a hanging victim”. Creswell made comments about her falling from a horse at a show jumping event the day before.
Features that might have been expected from a hanging were not present. There was little sign of ligature marks on her neck. There was also bruising to her body. Some blood and marks later found to be “consistent with being struck with a rod-type implement”.
On the same day in August 2020, a police forensics team went to the house where Creswell claimed he had found the 21-year-old hanging from the bannisters. The team, part of an initial inquiry, found no evidence of any marks on the bannisters suggesting a hanging. Creswell’s car was also seized.
The following day, one of the Altnagelvin medical staff raised concerns with police. She knew Creswell.
As Ms Simpson battled for life, Ms Fowles, who knew Creswell and his violent history, told police this was not a suicide attempt. His previous conviction and prison sentence for brutally assaulting ex-partner Abigail Lyle and threatening to dump her in a bleach-filled bath was flagged.
She raised further concerns over the following days. A highly respected member of the show jumping community in Derry, Paul Lusby, now deceased, also contacted police.
Ms Simpson died six days after arriving at the hospital, on August 9. By this stage the inquiry had been taken over by a major investigation team.
Two days after her death, a forensic post-mortem was carried out in the presence of a CID detective, Mr Beck told the Policing Board earlier this month.
At a later bail hearing, it was reported a pathologist concluded it was a “possible hanging” but this was “based mainly on the face of information given to him by the applicant (Creswell)”.
Further inquiries were carried out around August 14 “when information was raised with us around a concern about the cause of Katie’s death”, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher told the board.
The gap between admission to hospital and death may have “eroded” evidence, making it harder for the pathologist to determine the exact cause of death, Mr Boutcher suggested. The exact cause of death is still not yet known, at least publicly.
Mr Beck added that on the basis of the pathologist’s findings “and on the basis of the evidence available at that time, it was accepted by police at the time that the incident was non-suspicious”. The investigation was over within days of Ms Simpson’s death.
What is not clear - and may be part of a completed but unpublished Police Ombudsman report - is whether any of the hospital staff were spoken to at any point, particularly by detectives from the major investigation team. It is also not known what input, if any, the initial team had into the decision.
The 1,400-page Ombudsman report has identified officers having committed misconduct, not gross or criminal, the chief constable said.
It is not known how much of the ombudsman report covers the six months after Ms Simpson’s death but before a murder investigation finally began in January 2021. It is known there were serious tensions within the force during that period over the handling of this case.
The Irish News has learned at least one of the officers accused of misconduct was, in fact, one of those within the force arguing Ms Simpson’s death was suspicious and should have been investigated as a murder.
Alliance Party MLA Nuala McAllister, who has closely followed the case, said she was not satisfied with the responses from the two senior officers, though added she believes the chief constable is taking the matter seriously.
Ms McAllister said she will reserve judgement on the issue of accountability until she knows all proper investigations have taken place at all stages.
“One thing I want to say is this should never happen again,” the MLA said.
Creswell’s trial for murder and rape ended with his death, almost certainly, unlike Ms Simpson, by his own hand. Prosecutors argued in an opening statement Creswell killed Ms Simpson in a jealous rage. He was also charged with rape.
He had a history of abuse and violence towards women but also attracted arguably incomprehensible loyalty from many. Three are due to be sentenced later this month for helping to cover up his crimes.
The Western Trust was contacted for comment.
