Suspended sentences for women for aiding and abetting Creswell

Three women were given suspended sentences for helping a man accused of raping and murdering a young show jumper.

Katie Simpson, 21, died in hospital six days after an incident at a house in Lettershandoney, Co Derry, in August 2020.

The case was treated as a suicide for months before police began investigating it as a murder.

A man accused of raping and murdering Ms Simpson – Jonathan Creswell – was found dead in his home on the second day of his trial in April.

The 36-year-old had denied the allegations.

Before the murder trial began, the three women pleaded guilty to a number of offences related to Mrs Simpson’s death.

Today they appeared before Derry Crown Court for sentencing.

While prosecutors acknowledged that Jill Robinson, Hayley Robb and Rose De-Moutmorency-Wright did not believe they were involved in covering up a murder, they did believe they helped Creswell cover up an attack.

“All three defendants acted on the belief that Creswell had given them that he had attacked Katie before her alleged ‘suicide,'” the judge said.

“The alleged ‘suicide’ was a complete fabrication by Creswell.”

Robb, 30, of Weaver’s Meadow, Banbridge, Co Down, admitted withholding information and obstructing justice by cleaning up blood and washing his clothes in Creswell’s home.

Robinson, 42, of Blackfort Road in Omagh Co Tyrone, also admitted washing his clothes.

De Montmorency-Wright, 22, of Craigantlet Road, Newtownards, Co Down, admitted withholding information.

She had lived with Creswell and his then partner Christina Simpson, the sister of Katie Simpson.

Robb received a two-year suspended prison sentence.

Robinson was sentenced to 18 months probation and De Montmorency-Wright to eight months probation.

The judge said he was convinced that without Creswell’s “agency and control” none of them would have been in the dock.

Creswell was described in court as “a skilled and predatory abuser who viewed the women under his influence as being there to be used and abused for his own purposes, including his own sexual gratification.”

The court concluded that the conduct of all three had contributed to hampering the initial police investigation.

During the murder trial, it was discovered that Creswell had previously had “illicit relations” with Katie Simpson and had attacked her after discovering she was in a new relationship.

Hayley Robb had a sexual relationship with Creswell for ten years.

She had initially denied any wrongdoing, but then admitted that he had told her that he had “given the dead woman a good beating” the night before she was found injured.

Robb admitted that she knew Creswell had showered before driving to the hospital and acknowledged that she had washed some of his clothes.

Prosecutors claimed she failed to provide important information that would have diverted the initial police investigation.

Robinson was also in a relationship with Creswell for several years. She admitted that she had also washed some of his clothes, but said that was not unusual.

When asked why she did not go to the police after Creswell’s arrest, she said she assumed they would come to her.

On the day Mrs Simpson was found injured, Creswell met Robb and Robinson and is said to have told them: “You think I did this.”

He informed them that to explain her injuries he would say that Mrs Simpson had been trampled by a horse.

A defence lawyer for De Montmorency-Wright said Creswell exercised a high degree of control over several young women.

The PSNI’s handling of the initial investigation was controversial and led to several inquiries.

Police Commissioner Jon Boutcher said at a police commission meeting in May that there had been “misconduct” by officers in the early stages of the investigation.

He said he had received a 1,400-page report from the Police Ombudsman and disciplinary proceedings were underway.

Police Select Committee member Nuala McAllister has raised questions about why police apparently treated Ms Simpson’s death as a suicide for several months.