Publication date:
PPS Senior Public Prosecutor Bronach McAuley, who had conduct of the case, said:
“I would like to express my sympathy to Katie Simpson’s loved ones who have endured great pain and distress since her death almost four years ago. This was a particularly harrowing case, involving the violent death of a much-loved young woman with a promising future ahead of her. As Jonathan Creswell was found dead during his trial in April 2024, those proceedings can never run to conclusion. However, it was the prosecution’s case that Creswell was responsible for Ms Simpson’s death. It was also central to the prosecution’s case that he had covered up and lied about the circumstances of her death, to exculpate himself from blame.
“These three defendants have now been sentenced after pleading guilty to the individual parts they played in the aftermath of Ms Simpson’s death. While the prosecution accepted the defendants’ accounts that they believed that they were protecting Creswell from blame for an earlier assault by him upon Ms Simpson rather than her murder, they have nonetheless been convicted of serious criminality.
“We would like to commend Ms Simpson’s family and friends for the courage, strength and dignity they have shown throughout the investigation and the court process.
“I want to underline the seriousness with which we in the PPS take every case involving suspected domestic abuse. We consider every case of domestic abuse carefully, sensitively, and objectively. We will prosecute cases at their height if there is the evidence to do so.
“If you think you are experiencing domestic abuse in any form, please do not suffer in silence – please report your experiences to police. Our prosecutors are trained to recognise the complex features of domestic abuse, including indicators of coercive control, and we work with police to ensure victims are treated sensitively and with respect.”