Katie Simpson: 'Serious' questions for PSNI over investigation

A member of the Policing Board has said the PSNI needs to respond publicly to "serious concerns and questions" about the investigation into the death of Katie Simpson.

Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister is planning to raise the issue at a Policing Board meeting next week.

She also told BBC NI that she has made disclosures to the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland about the case.

Ms Simpson died following an incident in Lettershandoney in August 2020.

Ms McAllister said the issues she has brought to the attention of the Ombudsman "raise a lot of questions as to why Katie's murder was treated as a suicide for the first few months".

"It is very, very frightening to know that this took place in society, and it was quite obviously a murder and the police did not treat it as such and I think that we need to get to the bottom of this," she said.

The trial of a man for the murder of Ms Simpson ended abruptly this week after the defendant, Jonathan Cresswell, was found dead.

He had been accused of raping and murdering the young showjumper in August 2020 in a "jealous" rage after finding out that she was in a relationship with a young man, known to him.

Prosecutors also claimed that Jonathan Cresswell attempted to cover-up the alleged murder by claiming the 21-year-old woman died by suicide.

The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland launched an investigation in 2021 after receiving complaints about the police investigation into the circumstances of the young woman's death.

The police watchdog submitted a misconduct file to the Professional Standards Department of the PSNI last April about the conduct of a number of police officers, believed to be six officers.

The rank of the officers involved has not been disclosed publicly.

The office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is still awaiting the outcome of their recommendations to the PSNI.

Nuala McAllister said: "I think we need to ensure that within the PSNI, we have no serving officer, no serving officer, who is not willing to always do the right thing."

She said she is constrained for legal reasons about the amount of detail she can put in the public domain about the case at present but added: "I have been privy to information and sources within the police and within the wider public that do highlight the level to which this goes to, and that concerns me greatly."

She has emphasised that her concerns are about some senior ranking PSNI officers linked to the case.

She also paid tribute to constables who worked on the case, saying they acted with "complete respect" for the victim and her family and upheld the standards of policing.PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Davy Beck said: "I can confirm that we have received an investigation file from the Office of the Police Ombudsman, which is currently being considered.

"It would therefore be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time."

ACC Beck said Ms Simpson's death "has left a family devastated".

"They have been robbed of their loved one, and continue to suffer unimaginably," he added. "My thoughts are, first and foremost, with Katie's family at this time."