The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is carrying out three investigations which may be relevant to the inquest into the death of murdered showjumper Katie Simpson.
One investigation “includes allegations which might amount to criminal wrongdoing”, the coroner’s court in Belfast was told on Tuesday during a pre-inquest review hearing into the 21-year-old’s death.
Ms Simpson, originally from Tynan, Co Armagh, died in Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry in August 2020, six days after she was attacked in the house she shared with her sister and her partner, Jonathan Creswell, in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney.
Police initially believed Creswell’s claims that Ms Simpson had taken her own life, but the following year he was arrested and charged with her rape and murder. His trial was abruptly halted last April after he was found dead.
Opening the case against him a day earlier, the prosecution said Creswell had “strangled and killed” Ms Simpson “out of pure rage and jealousy” and then sought to “cover up” by making it appear she had died by suicide.
Three women were subsequently convicted of lesser offences in relation to Ms Simpson’s murder. Hayley Robb, of Weavers Meadow, Banbridge, pleaded guilty to withholding information and perverting the course of justice by washing clothes belonging to Creswell and cleaning blood at his home.
Jill Robinson, of Blackfort Road in Omagh, admitted perverting the course of justice by washing Creswell’s clothes, and Rose De Montmorency-Wright, from Craigantlet Road in Newtownards, pleaded guilty to withholding information.
An interim report by the Police Ombudsman into the PSNI investigation of Ms Simpson’s death, published in November, found the initial police inquiry was “flawed” and recommended disciplinary action against six police officers.
During the brief hearing, the coroner’s court also heard details of the volume of material which Mark Robinson, barrister for the PSNI, said had been disclosed to the inquest.
The documentation runs to between 25,000 and 29,000 pages and includes a “significant” section comprised of 352 files, as well as 44 police reports, 77 transmission files, a list of 165 exhibits, 237 statements and 53 interview files, he said.
The coroner also considered applications for Properly Interested Person (Pip) status at the inquest, which would allow individuals or organisations to access documents and ask questions during the proceedings.
Pip status has already been granted to the PSNI and to the next of kin of Mr Creswell, whose mother Donna was represented in court on Tuesday by a solicitor.
The court heard applications for Pip status “remain undetermined” for de Montmorency-Wright, Robinson and Robb.
Coroner Joe McCrisken adjourned the hearing until June 17th to allow time to examine the “voluminous” amount of material disclosed by the PSNI.
