Katie Simpson: Three people involved in the cover-up of a death escape prison

Three women who admitted crimes related to the cover-up of show jumper Katie Simpson’s death have escaped prison.

Mrs Simpson died on 3 August 2020 as a result of an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney.

Hayley Robb, Jill Robinson and Rose De Montmorency-Wright received suspended sentences after pleading guilty to several crimes in connection with her death.

The man on trial for the rape and murder of Katie Simpson, Jonathan Creswell, was found dead in his home in April.

Outside court, Noleen Simpson, Ms Simpson’s mother, said: “It is heartbreaking to know that we will never see Katie’s smile again.”

“Her laughter will be the memory we will keep.”

Robb, 30, of Weavers Meadow, Banbridge, County Down, admitted withholding information and two other counts of perverting the course of justice.

She washed Mr. Creswell’s clothes and wiped away blood in his house.

Her two-year prison sentence was suspended for two years.

Robinson, 42, of Blackfort Road, Omagh, County Tyrone, also admitted perverting the course of justice by washing clothes belonging to Mr Creswell.

She was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for two years.

De Montmorency-Wright, 22, of Craigantlet Road, Newtownards, County Down, admitted withholding information between October 2020 and October 2021.

She lived with Mr Creswell and his then partner Christina Simpson, the sister of Katie Simpson.

She was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Mr Creswell, who denied raping and murdering Ms Simpson, was found dead shortly after the trial began.

He was not in custody as he was granted bail at the High Court in Belfast in April 2021.

Police initially believed Mrs Simpson’s death to be a suicide, but later ruled it a murder.

After sentencing the three women, the judge said Mr Creswell was a “skilled and predatory abuser” who viewed the women under his influence as “simply there to be used for his own purposes, including his sexual gratification”.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) believed that Mr Creswell was responsible for Mrs Simpson’s death.

“Another central point in the prosecution’s argument was that he covered up the circumstances of her death and lied about it in order to absolve himself of guilt,” said lead prosecutor Bronach McAuley.

“Although the prosecution accepted the defendants’ testimony that they were trying to protect Creswell from blame for an earlier attack on Ms. Simpson, rather than her murder, they were nevertheless convicted of a serious crime.”

Speaking at the closing ceremony for Jonathan Creswell’s death, Noleen Simpson said there would never be justice for the family.

“The lack of a trial left us with an overwhelming sense of injustice. What kept us going was the thought that he would end up in prison at any moment.”

“If you look back from the beginning, this was never possible.”

She thanked everyone involved in helping to bring Katie’s murder to justice and for proving that it was not a suicide, as originally believed.

The Simpson family had previously called for an investigation to find out why police did not respond promptly to suspicions that Mrs Simpson might have been murdered.

The show jumper’s aunt told BBC News NI she believes Jonathan Creswell may have sexually abused Katie Simpson for years.

Paula Mullan said that while some people speculated that the two were in a relationship, that was not her understanding of the situation.

“Raping and abusing someone for so many years is not a relationship for me.

“He may have called it a relationship, but it wasn’t.

“It is hard to imagine that she had to endure so much suffering in her life.

“I think she wanted to tell everything and that’s why she was murdered.”

She urged anyone in an abusive relationship to seek help, adding that there are organisations like Women’s Aid that do good work.

Meanwhile, Marie Brown, chief executive of Foyle Women’s Aid, called for a review of the case.

“I want a full review of this case because I think the PSNI’s performance has been abysmal,” she said.

“I know that Katie’s case came too late to fall within the scope of the murder review legislation.

“But I demand that Katie Simpson’s death be investigated so that we can learn from this case.”

A PSNI spokesman said: “We have received an investigation file from the Police Ombudsman’s Office which is currently being reviewed.

“It would therefore be inappropriate to make further comments at this time.”