A further two PSNI officers have retired while under investigation for new complaints into the mishandling of the Jonathan Creswell case, bringing the total number who have quit to four.
They are among a number of officers whose conduct is under scrutiny in relation to Creswell, who came very close to getting away with murdering showjumper Katie Simpson, whose death in August 2020 was initially treated as suicide, despite the PSNI being told of his past convictions.
Creswell claimed he rescued Katie – the younger sister of his partner Christina Simpson – from a hanging attempt, before placing her, unresponsive, into her own car and setting off for the hospital.
The truth was very different, as Creswell had savagely beaten Katie the previous night in a jealous rage.
At some point overnight, he strangled her and staged a scene to make it appear that Katie had taken her own life in a manner that would indicate her neck had been constricted.
Despite obvious inconsistencies, the PSNI took all their information from Creswell, even though his past conduct was being repeatedly flagged as Katie fought for her life.
But it wasn’t just the convictions themselves. There were striking similarities to his widely known attack on his previous partner, Abi Lyle, in 2009, for which he served six months in prison.
She too was subjected to terrifying abuse triggered by intense jealousy and was strangled until she passed out.
Unlike Abi, however, Katie did not revive.
Despite the repeated flagging of his propensity for strangulation, jealousy, and abuse, police simply refused to listen.
Part of the reason for this appears to have been because Creswell’s previous convictions were not showing on his record.
There was also clear ambivalence to reports of concern, as the completed Police Ombudsman’s report noted that a senior officer contended, “Creswell’s previous conviction or being a bad boy does not make him a murderer, and evidence was required”.
This is factually incorrect, as the threshold is reasonable suspicion, with evidence only being gathered through investigation.
Other information would also mysteriously vanish from the case file.
The Police Ombudsman initially launched an investigation in 2021 after Creswell’s arrest, which was completed in May 2023 but could not be released until the trial proceedings had concluded.
Named Operation Gambart, it would be November 2024 before the details were partially made known.
Much remains withheld as three new complaints were submitted after the trial concluded, and there is some overlap.
One complaint relates to an officer from the original investigation, which the Police Ombudsman has stated “may potentially involve criminal misconduct”.
Another refers to several officers in the second investigation and centres on failure of duty.
A third, brought by a former victim of Creswell, was initially closed last year but has since been reopened after information disputing both the PSNI’s position and the Police Ombudsman’s original findings emerged.
When asked to provide the current employment status of the officers in question, the PSNI advised: “None have been suspended.”
Pressed further, the PSNI confirmed that two officers have since retired.
Regulations only permit the Chief Constable to refuse a request to resign where the officer is suspended.
The identities of the officers under investigation and the complaints against them are known but are not being disclosed at this time.
