Creswell charged with murder of young woman

NORTHERN Ireland show jumping rider Jonathan Creswell was charged by the PSNI last weekend with the murder of a young Co Armagh woman last summer.

Creswell (33) of Briar Hill Gardens, Greysteel, was charged with the murder of Katie Simpson (21) of Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney, after an incident on August 9th 2020.

The young woman never regained consciousness and died in Altnagelvin Hospital on August 9th 2020. Police investigations have been ongoing into all the circumstances of the incident.

PSNI officers arrested and detained Creswell for questioning last week before he was charged with her murder.

BBC reported the defendant appeared in Dungannon Magistrates’ Court last Saturday via video link where he was remanded in custody after the PSNI objected to a bail application.

The defence said the post-mortem report gave the cause of Simpson’s death as pneumonia.

Due to a delay in the examination, the pathologist said they could not determine if the deceased had been strangled or had hanged, according to the BBC.

The court heard that Creswell called an ambulance on the day in question, saying the victim, who was his partner’s sister, had tried to take her own life.

Creswell is due to appear in court again via video link on April 1st.