PSNI's Creswell exposure allegation inquiry 'inadequate'

Police who investigated a suspected killer for indecent exposure, years before he was accused of murdering a young woman, ran an "inadequate" investigation, a report has found.

Showjumper Jonathan Creswell was found dead on the second day of his trial for the 2020 rape and murder of Katie Simpson - his partner's sister - whom he had groomed from a young age.

Years earlier, he had been reported to police after allegedly exposing himself to a woman in a stable yard in October 2015.

The woman complained to the Police Ombudsman's office over how police had handled her complaint.

The ombudsman's office found the complainant had been "failed" both "as a woman and as a victim" by the PSNI.

Its investigation found a number of shortcomings in the PSNI case management.

The first officer dealing with the case took only one witness statement during the four months she was in charge.

No statements were taken from three other witnesses, including a potential eyewitness.

A second officer allocated to the case did not take any further statements.

Neither officer listened to a recording of an allegedly threatening voice message sent by Creswell.

"Indecent exposure is a serious crime and can indicate a potential for escalating sexual offending, so it is important that reports are robustly investigated," said the ombudsman's Director of Investigations, Nikki Davis.

The file submitted to prosecutors by the second officer was inaccurate. It said Creswell was only known to police for motoring offences.

He had previously been jailed for violent offending against a woman.

The first officer assigned the case said she would have taken further statements had she retained control of it.

The second officer said he was not instructed to take further statements and did not consider Creswell's violent offending relevant.

"The officer failed to provide the PPS with important information concerning Creswell's prior convictions for violent offending," said Mrs Davis.

"Indecent exposure is a non-contact sexual offence and a form of sexual violence, so the prior conviction was entirely relevant and should have been disclosed to the PPS."

The ombudsman found the officers had made "inadequate enquiries" to find and interview Creswell.

They did not contact gardaí, even though they had reason to believe he was living in Co Donegal.

The ombudsman recommended that the two officers be disciplined. The PSNI decided the issues would be better addressed by measures to improve the officers' conduct.

The case of Jonathan Creswell resulted in huge criticism for the PSNI.

He was found dead in 2024 a day after he went on trial for the murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson at a house near Derry in August 2020.

He had tried to present what had happened as an attempted suicide.

She died six days after being admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

The circumstances of the case caused huge controversy and led to a Stormont review.

Published in April, the review found that the PSNI investigation of her death had been shaped by "premature assumptions and complacency".

The PSNI was accused of "institutional misogyny" and of accepting Creswell's narrative "without challenge".

A senior police officer accepted it had fallen "far short", apologised to the family, and pledged to learn lessons.