Ex-senior detective made 'dismissive' remarks in Katie Simpson case, documents show

A former senior Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) detective was the officer who used language singled out for criticism in a review that found "institutional misogyny" within the PSNI.

John Caldwell, a former Detective Chief Inspector, described the killer of showjumper Katie Simpson, as a "bad boy" or "philanderer", according to material seen by BBC News.

He is documented as having made the remarks about Jonathan Creswell in April 2022 as part of a Police Ombudsman investigation.

In a statement to the BBC, John Caldwell said that "some of the language" attributed to him during the interview "has been considered to be misogynistic".

Warning: Contains details that some might find distressing

"I am a plain-speaking person who looked at matters from an evidential aspect, but I believe that context is important and also intent, but at no stage have I ever sought to diminish any individual's criminal responsibility or the severity of serious offending."

One of the best-known detectives in the PSNI, John Caldwell retired in December 2024, almost two years after being targeted in a dissident republican attack.

In March 2021, the police ombudsman launched an investigation following complaints about the PSNI's initial response to the death of Katie Simpson.

The 21-year-old died six days after being admitted to hospital in Londonderry in 2020.

Her death was initially treated by the police as suicide.

It was several months before Jonathan Creswell, a showjumping trainer and the partner of Katie's sister, was charged with Katie's murder.

He took his own life one day after the trial began in April 2024.

Codenamed 'Operation Gambart', the police ombudsman investigation focused on the initial police response into Katie's death and the early phases of the subsequent police investigation.

John Caldwell was the highest ranking of the 15 PSNI officers interviewed under a misconduct caution as part of the investigation.

Material seen by BBC NI Spotlight details the police ombudsman record of his interview at Omagh PSNI station in April 2022.

The then Det Ch Insp John Caldwell stated that he became aware of the death of Katie Simpson after he was contacted for "advice" by a lower ranking colleague.

At the time of the police ombudsman interview, Creswell had been charged with murder.

The then Det Ch Insp Caldwell reported having been a senior investigating officer (SIO) in "over 80 murders" and went on to state that "he was not the SIO in this investigation but gave advice when asked".

He was not appointed SIO of the investigation and the police ombudsman record of his interview states that he was "clear" that he "never had ownership of the investigation".

In 2009, Creswell was sentenced to six months in jail for a catalogue of abuse against a former girlfriend. The nature of the physical assaults included choking and strangulation.

During his police ombudsman interview, the then Det Ch Insp Caldwell was asked about "intelligence and reports from members of the public" that the death of Katie Simpson "was suspicious".

In response he stated that: "Creswell's previous conviction or being a bad boy does not make him a murderer and evidence was required".

The reference to Creswell as a "bad boy" rather than a violent perpetrator was singled out for criticism in a recently published separate review of the case.

The review, led by Dr Jan Melia, said such language trivialised male aggression and undermined the credibility of female victims.

"There is no doubt that this kind of language is normalised, seen as a bit of laugh, or banter, but this is part of problem.

"Euphemistic or dismissive language, such as referring to a perpetrator as a "bad boy" obscures the harm done by men like Creswell, denying women's experience of abuse", the review said.

Creswell claimed he found Katie after she had tried to take her own life but at the hospital, her bruises concerned nurses. She had also presented with vaginal bleeding.

A failure by police to examine Katie's body and injuries whilst she was alive was also a complaint under investigation.

During his interview in April 2022, the then Det Ch Insp Caldwell was asked about "the blood on Katie's underwear".

In response, "he stated that it could have been her menstrual cycle".

When asked by police ombudsman investigators "if it could indicate rough sex" he stated, "that Creswell was having an affair with Katie but being a philanderer doesn't make you a murderer".

When he was later asked again about the bloodstained underwear, he added that he was "not aware of this but it could have been menstrual blood".

He went on to state that "she died of pneumonia and not blood loss due to being kicked in the vagina", and that "the cause of death had been established at the post-mortem."

As a child from 10 years of age, Katie was groomed by Creswell who was described in the Melia review as "a predator who used sexual abuse and rape as a tactic targeting young women including Katie".

The reference to Creswell as a "philanderer" was also highlighted in the Melia review.

"The use of this kind of language, is misogynistic because it protects male perpetrators at the expense of female victims", Dr Melia added.

John Caldwell was not subject to misconduct proceedings in the wake of the police ombudsman investigation.

In his statement to the BBC he said: "I express my deepest condolences to Katie's family."

He added that in the early stages of the police investigation he was approached for advice and provided several recommendations based on the limited information that was available to him.

His recommendations, he said, included advising the request of a forensic post-mortem examination and proactive investigative lines in an effort to locate Katie's missing mobile phone.

He said it is "clear that there were failures in the police response" adding that "there is a lot of learning that needs to be taken from the tragic circumstances surrounding Katie's murder".

In 2024, John Caldwell was awarded the King's Police Medal for distinguished services in the police force.

The Melia review found that a catalogue of police failures in the handling of the case exposed "institutional misogyny" and "systemic failures" within the PSNI.

In response to the review which was published last week, the PSNI chief constable said he had spoken to the entire organisation and told officers there would be "zero tolerance" for misogyny and those who displayed that behaviour would "quickly lose their jobs".

Speaking at a subsequent meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, Jon Boutcher said that he "absolutely agrees" and accepts that the references to Creswell as a "bad boy" and "philanderer" trivialises misogynistic behaviour.

In a statement to BBC News, the PSNI chief constable said: "Tackling the issue of misogyny is a priority for us. We want to make sure changes are made so that victims can be confident they will always receive a professional service when reporting crime to us."

Boutcher added that: "Our aim is that an environment exists in the Police Service of Northern Ireland where inappropriate and misogynistic behaviour is not acceptable and will always be challenged."

"The overwhelming majority of the PSNI workforce are professional and display the highest of standards and work tirelessly to keep people safe."

He added: "While no evidence was found to support an allegation of criminal wrongdoing against officers, I welcome the confirmation from the justice minister that she is seeking to bring forward an amendment to the Justice Bill that would enable misconduct proceedings to conclude against former officers.

"This will address concerns raised where officers have resigned/retired and have avoided disciplinary proceedings."

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