An investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) into the murder of showjumper Katie Simpson was a “profound failure” characterised by a culture of “institutional misogyny” and “complacency”, an independent report has found.
The 200-page review, published on Tuesday, revealed that 37 other victims – the youngest a nine-year-old girl – have come forward to report abuse by Jonathan Creswell, the man accused of the 21-year-old’s murder.
Commissioned by Stormont’s Department of Justice last year, the report’s author, Jan Melia, confirmed that police have identified two “potential offenders” in the North’s equestrian sector through the course of writing the report.
It is a “damning report” that makes for “hard reading”, she said.
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Simpson, from Tynan, a village near Armagh city, died in Altnagelvin Area Hospital almost a week after an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney, on August 3rd, 2020.
Police, who had failed to act on repeated warnings, initially treated her death as a suicide.
It was not until the following year that Creswell (36), a showjumping trainer who was in a relationship with Simpson’s sister, was arrested on suspicion of murder.
On the second day of his trial in April, Creswell was found dead at his home at Briar Hill Gardens in Greysteel, Co Derry.
[ The murder of Katie Simpson: The full storyOpens in new window ]
Simpson’s death exposed “systemic failures” in policing and safeguarding practices in NI, according to the review.
A “sea change” is required, Melia said.
“Not one officer thought seriously about abuse/control” in the initial police investigation, the report found.
As a result, “clear warning signs were ignored”.
“Katie was let down at every step. Police inaction rendered her invisible in her own murder, allowing Creswell to maintain control even after death.
“His presence in Altnagelvin as she lay dying, and at her wake and funeral [was] diabolical.”
A timeline of the initial police investigation is provided in the report; a “basic walk-through” of the house by junior PSNI staff was “incredibly short”.
Creswell’s previous offending history was not properly checked, the report also found.
In 2010, he was jailed for a series of attacks on a previous girlfriend, Abi Lyle.
“From the outset, the police investigation was shaped not by professional curiosity or care, but premature assumptions and complacency. This dominant narrative constructed by Jonathan Creswell was accepted without challenge, while Katie’s lived experience was erased from the inquiry.”
The police investigation was “not a failure of one officer or one decision”.
“It was a failure of the system: a policing culture characterised by complacency, institutional misogyny and the tendency to minimise risk,” the report said.
It called for a “cultural shift within the PSNI” that “challenges and changes its own institutional misogyny”, identified as a “risk factor to victims and the public”.
The review concluded that the PSNI investigation was a profound failure, characterised by missed red flags, weak leadership, weak decision making and a culture of misogyny and complacency that marginalised Katie Simpson.
“These same characteristics were identified as part of the Angiolini review into the murder of Sarah Everard”, who was killed in London in 2021 by a serving Metropolitan Police officer.
Scathing criticism was also made of safeguarding failings in Northern Ireland’s equestrian sector.
Many of the facilities where Creswell worked as a jockey/trainer were “entirely unregulated”, it also found.
It became “apparent” during the review that Creswell may have “associated with known sex offenders”.
“It has also become apparent that there may be known individuals currently operating within the equestrian world,” according to the report.
“Police investigation into these matters have been progressed during this review.”
To date, a total of 37 victims have reported abuse by Creswell (31 female, six male), the report states.
Speaking after the report’s publication, Simpson’s mother, Noleen Mullan, thanked Melia for her “compassion” throughout the review process.
Katie was “well-loved by so many”, Mullan told reporters in Parliament Buildings.
“I hope she’s helped loads of people and I think she has,” she said.
“You wonder why she was treated in this way but she mightn’t have got the justice that she wanted, but I believe that people think they’re above the law but you’re not above god’s law – no matter what you do you’ll not get away with it.”
Mullan called for better safeguarding in the equestrian sector.
“It’s very hard for young girls and I think a lot of the older girls that are in the industry really have to be looking around them and look after the young ones coming up because there won’t be that many men who will.”
The report has made 16 recommendations, the majority of which were “police-focused”, according to Justice Minister Naomi Long, who delivered the review’s findings in the Assembly chamber.
The PSNI has accepted the findings in full.
On Tuesday, PSNI assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck apologised to Simpson’s family for “its response to Katie’s death”.
“The review makes clear that we missed opportunities. Warning signs were not fully recognised early enough and we did not listen to some of those who raised early concerns,” he said.
Work is already under way to address the failings, including strengthened training on coercive control and an emphasis on “professional curiosity and an investigative mind set”.
Safeguarding referrals in domestic abuse cases are already subject to enhanced supervisory review, the senior PSNI officer confirmed.
“We are committed to rebuilding trust through action, accountability, and reform,” he said.
Beck issued an appeal to anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Creswell “or anyone else”.
Social services and the health service were also criticised in the report over safeguarding failures.
Simpson’s death and investigation must serve as “a catalyst for reform”, it states.
“A change in mindset is required.”
