Jonathan Creswell Case Review Terms Announced After Police Failures

Naomi Long announced the review’s focus. It concerns Jonathan Creswell’s case and his trial for Katie Simpson’s rape and murder. He killed himself after the first day.

Creswell claimed he saved Katie from hanging on August 3rd, 2020. She died six days later in the hospital. Her death was ruled suicide. Concerns arose about Creswell’s past and police were told of violent acts, but it took seven months to arrest him.

Complaints were filed with the Police Ombudsman, who found big police failures. The Chief Constable admitted to these failures. More complaints came after the trial ended and are under investigation now. One involves “potentially criminal misconduct.”

Long commissioned the review last month. It will examine public protection and check if chances to manage Creswell were missed. The review involves police and prison services, the Probation Board, and the Western Trust. Most confirmed cooperation right away, and the Western Trust will now cooperate as well.

Jan Melia will lead the review team. She is experienced with homicide reviews and will start by talking with Katie’s family. The review will find out how people helped Katie and address Creswell’s behavior.

It will look at his history up to Katie’s death. It will check agency contact with Creswell and Katie and examine chances to manage him. The review will look at chances to assess Katie’s risk due to her hospital visits related to horses, where Creswell was often present.

It will find out if agencies tried to manage Creswell’s risk. They will see if the work was reasonable. The review starts in 2009, when Creswell held Abi Lyle captive and brutally attacked her, similar to what happened to Katie.

He denied the abuse charges at first, then changed his plea and was jailed for six months. After prison, Creswell lived with Katie’s sister and then faced court for driving offenses, showing no respect for the law.

In 2016, he exposed himself to a coworker and fled across the border, but was never found. The victim complained to the Police Ombudsman, but the complaint was not supported at the time; new evidence now challenges this.

Police won’t say when Irish police were asked to help, nor will they comment on a warrant. Police claim that determining that information is “too expensive.” Police also won’t say when his arrest alert vanished and his assault convictions disappeared. The Ombudsman complaint is now open again.

The Probation Board never worked with Creswell after his release for attacking Abi. All data will go to the new review.