Groomed: Coercion, Control and a Cold-blooded Murder

This is the harrowing story of Jonathan Cresswell and the rape and murder of 21-year-old show jumper Katie Simpson―a death initially believed to be a suicide until the truth was uncovered.

Jonathan Cresswell was a dangerous and violent man, particularly toward women. He manipulated multiple partners through coercive control and subjected them to physical abuse when they defied him. In August 2020, he raped and murdered Katie Simpson, the sister of his partner and the aunt of his two children.

Cresswell attempted to conceal the crime, claiming he had found Katie hanging on the landing of their shared home―and he nearly succeeded. Only the persistence of an investigative journalist, the suspicions of medical staff, and the determination of Katie’s family and friends prompted the Police Service of Northern Ireland to reopen the case almost five months after her death.

During the ensuing trial, Cresswell took his own life. Three other women were charged with assisting in the concealment of the crime and each received a suspended sentence, with the court recognizing that they had been acting under Cresswell’s coercive control.