PSNI Initiates Review of Three Suicide-Recorded Cases Following Katie Simpson Report

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that it is undertaking a review of three cases previously classified as suicide, in the wake of the Katie Simpson case. A report from the Police Ombudsman concerning the death of the County Armagh showjumper concluded that the police investigation was deficient and did not serve her family adequately. The report indicated “a general lack of investigative mindset,” resulting in her death in 2020 being handled as a suicide for multiple months. Jonathan Creswell was subsequently charged with her murder. Creswell was discovered deceased at his residence at the age of 36 during his trial in April. In a statement issued to BBC News NI on Friday, the police stated: “Following the Katie Simpson case, the Police Service of Northern Ireland is reviewing three cases recorded as suicide.” Ms Simpson, 21 years old, from Tynan in County Armagh, was transported to the hospital with severe injuries following an incident at a house in County Londonderry in August 2020. Creswell, who was her sister’s partner, had contacted 999 and falsely claimed to have discovered her hanging from a stairwell. However, law enforcement subsequently concluded that he had assaulted her prior to strangling her. Ms Simpson was admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital, where she passed away six days afterward, without ever regaining consciousness. Numerous warning signs were overlooked before Creswell was ultimately charged with her murder. Nuala McAllister, an Alliance Party representative on the Policing Board, stated that she had confidentially provided the chief constable with a compilation of deaths she believed warranted additional scrutiny. She mentioned that these names had been supplied to her by both individual police officers and relatives. She informed BBC News NI: “I am confident and have been assured now that we have senior investigating officers that have been appointed, we have family liaison officers so that families do feel listened to.” She continued: “But moving forward this is a much wider issue, we need to have total confidence in the PSNI.” She added: “To do that we need to ensure the PSNI, that their practices, their procedures, are up to scratch when it comes to actually tackling violence against women and girls and where that has failed, where women have died, exploring every avenue, exploring every plausible circumstance and every explanation for what happened to that woman.” Cheryl Brownlee, a Democratic Unionist Party member of the Policing Board, informed Good Morning Ulster on Wednesday: “It has been raised at the board a number of times about various cases that may have similar threads to the Katie Simpson case.” She further stated: “We have reported those and the police are doing further investigations into that.” She concluded: “I think that’s very critical that if anybody feels that there was a failing to get in contact and to raise those concerns.”