Anyone who engages in inappropriate behaviour within the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) will “very quickly lose your job”, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has warned. He updated the Policing Board following the publication of an independent review into the death of showjumper Katie Simpson in 2020.
Background of the Case
Ms Simpson, 21, from Tynan, County Armagh, died in Altnagelvin Area Hospital almost a week after an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney. Police originally believed she had taken her own life. It was not until the following year that Jonathan Creswell, the partner of Ms Simpson’s sister, was arrested on suspicion of murder. The trial of Creswell, 36, ended in April 2024 after he took his own life following the first day of proceedings.
Findings of the Independent Review
The review, led by Dr Jan Melia, concluded that “institutional misogyny” within the PSNI contributed to “clear warning signs” being missed in the original investigation. Mr Boutcher acknowledged that there were “absolutely unacceptable police failings”, including the failure to refer Creswell to public protection arrangements in Northern Ireland and the failure to search for his previous serious offending on the police system.
He stated that officers “lacked professional curiosity” and “too readily accepted Creswell’s lies”. These failures allowed Creswell to avoid being treated as a suspect for some five months, causing “further unnecessary pain and trauma to Katie’s family”.
Chief Constable’s Apology and Zero Tolerance
Mr Boutcher personally apologised to the family, saying: “When Katie was admitted to hospital in August 2020, we absolutely failed her.” He emphasised that the PSNI has a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate behaviour, adding: “No one should accept inappropriate behaviour. The PSNI will deal with such behaviour in the strongest possible terms. I will seek criminal sanctions, and at the very least, you will quickly lose your job.”
Violence Against Women and Girls
The Chief Constable revealed that the force receives nearly 16 reports of violence against women and girls every day, with 22,000 offences recorded over a 12-month period. He described violence against women and girls as a “major threat to our wider society” and stated that the PSNI is now “very much victim-focused” and tackling this issue as an “absolute priority”.
Mr Boutcher concluded by noting that the overwhelming majority of the PSNI workforce are professional and work tirelessly to keep people safe, and they will be “devastated by this report”.
