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Jonathan Creswell and the murder of Katie Simpson.

Hangdogroad

I dont think I've seen this case discussed here before surprisingly. Not only is it shocking in terms of the case itself and the rape and murder of a young woman, which the killer tried to pass off as a suicide, but it seems that this creeps abusive treatment of women was well known locally and in the equestrian industry.

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Hangdogroad

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-believe-there-are-a-lot-more-victims-detective-who-uncovered-truth-about-brutal-murder-of-katie-simpson/a2031483480.html

volchitsa

That poor girl. It’s so horrible - and for the police just to accept Creswell’s version of events so readily is like a nightmare. Is it just laziness or yet more active misogyny in a police force?

(If they’d both been catholic I’d have suspected that the police didn’t care about a dead taig but that’s not even the case.)

Rubberchikken

Seems a total creep and took the cowardly way out rather than face the consequences.

One of life's losers imo.

I feel so sorry for that poor girl and what he put her through.

Hangdogroad

The horse industry seems to draw some very toxic individuals.

Hangdogroad

https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2026/0505/1571783-katie-simpson-investigation-review/

OscarMIlde

It was more than institutional misogyny, it was deliberately not looking into it. Her family and staff at the hospital who treated her while she was in a coma brought attention to the injuries she had that were not consistent with suicide by hanging, and these were not logged. This is from KRW law on behalf of the Simpson family:

Hospital staff raised concerns about Katie’s presentation and injuries, yet these concerns were neither properly examined nor followed through. Warnings raised by members of the public, by family members – including Paul Lusby and Katie’s aunt – and by healthcare professionals went without investigation or were effectively disregarded.

The Review records that Katie herself became “an afterthought”, marginalised and disconnected from decision-making, while the account of Jonathan Cresswell was privileged and left largely unchallenged.

The Review catalogues extensive PSNI failings, including:

Failure to speak with Katie’s parents at a critical early stage
Failure to photograph injuries or properly collect and preserve clothing
Poor communication between police and paramedics
Failure to ensure a supervising officer of Detective Sergeant rank attended the scene
Treating the case as suicide from the outset, placing it outside the Death Investigation Service remit

Not only that but when a police officer in another jurisdiction was given information about the case from someone aware of Creswell's abusive nature and decided to investigate he was warned off from investigating 'Johnny' by the Derry PSNI. His own jurisiction were supportive and they used a loophole that on weekends they had jurisdiction over the entirety of Northern Ireland to take the case. They successfully did investigate and Creswell was charged with murder and some of his female acolytes were also charged with perverting the course of justice and withholding information. This police officer, who was a hero, was so disillusioned about the level of corruption involved that he left policing altogether.

aero2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124453644#Comment_124453644

Nicola Tallant has a book called "Groomed" about the whole affair. It's well written and quite shocking. The investigative journalist who's name I can't recall is one of the heroes, likewise Paul Lusby, but there's no shortage of villains. Cresswell seem to have carried on his abusive behaviour in plain view for many years without restriction. It's hard to believe no man seems to have confronted him.

OscarMIlde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124453949#Comment_124453949

I must read that. I saw a BBC documentary and the Death of a showjumper documentary, as well as read a few articles. It was absolutely horrific, particularly listening to Abi Lyle's description of her abuse. She was so lucky to have a supportive family and to be supported by the domestic abuse liason officer. Poor Katie, she was so young and must have spent years in terror. To be living in such close quarters with her abuser and her own sister turning a blind eye is unfathomable. The mentality of people in that Showjumping/hunt set was almost cultlike.

aero2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454125#Comment_124454125

I couldn't get my head around the domestic set-up at all.

Katie came across in the book as a fantastic young woman, full of life and potential.

I was delighted to find out that Abi Lyle got to compete at the Olympics.

The cops were a complete disgrace - the journalist tried to report suspicions, and they directed her to their press section.

OscarMIlde

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124454257#Comment_124454257

Abi Lyle was incredible. I admire her so much for continuing in that sport, it must have been so hard considering the reception Creswell got when he first came out of prison. He definitely seemed protected, he should have faced much worse charges for what he did to her; how was the bath filled with bleach not anything but attempted murder? I had chills listening to her, I can only imagine what Katie went through. We don't actually know what he did to her for the years leading up to her death.