Left to rot: The forgotten grave of evil killer and rapist Jonathan Creswell

This is the neglected grave of evil killer and rapist Jonathan Creswell.

Creswell killed himself in April rather than face justice for the horrific murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson in 2020.

He had tried to disguise Katie’s death as suicide but his sick lie was eventually found out and a murder trial began on April 23.

That night, Creswell (36) took his own life.

He was buried a few days later at a cemetery in Derry.

However, as these photographs reveal, his grave is in a sorry state.

While the surrounding graves of others who died recently are adorned with flowers and crosses carrying the name of the deceased, there is nothing on Creswell’s grave to indicate he is buried there.

The plot is overgrown with grass and weeds.

Given the depravity of his crimes, it is hardly surprising there are few people mourning the former horse trainer’s death.

In August 2020, Katie, a talented showjumper originally from Tynan in Co Armagh, was living with Creswell, his partner Christina, who was Katie’s sister, and Creswell and Christina’s two young children in a house at Gortnessy Meadows on the outskirts of Derry.

Also living in the house at the time was another young women, Rose de Montmorency-Wright.

Shortly before 8.30am on August 3 that year, a 999 call was made saying Katie had been found in the house after apparently having tried to take her own life.

Creswell said he found Katie when he returned to the house after taking his children to his mother’s house.

However, instead of waiting for the emergency crews to arrive, Creswell put Katie in his car and started driving the short distance towards Altnagelvin Hospital.

En route, he was told by a 999 handler to pull over and start CPR on Katie.

In a recording of the call, Creswell can be heard counting as he supposedly does resuscitation chest presses on Katie.

This, it later turned out, was all an act.

Paramedics arrived at the scene and took over the efforts to revive Katie before taking her to the hospital.

She was put on a life-support machine but never regained consciousness and died on August 9, 2020.

Her heartbroken family and friends were left dealing with her death and the devastating belief she had taken her own life.

However, it was a sick lie created by Creswell to cover up his horrific crime.

Shockingly, the police team initially investigating Katie’s death fell for his lies.

However, following pressure from a number of people suspicious of Creswell, a new police team were brought in to look at the case.

Slowly, the truth began to emerge and in March 2021 Creswell was charged with Katie’s murder.

A court was subsequently told Creswell had “groomed” Katie since she was 10 years old and had been involved in an “illicit sexual liaison” with her.

Instead of Katie having taken her own life, Creswell had raped her before strangling and killing her because he had found out she was involved in a new relationship.

Police believed his story about Katie’s suicide despite a number of red flags, including the fact Creswell had served a prison sentence for choking and beating a previous partner.

On the opening day of the murder trial this year, the prosecution said the story of Katie having died as a result of suicide was “a fiction” and Creswell had “lied, lied, and lied” in an effort to cover his tracks.

The trial had been expected to last between four to six weeks but was halted after Creswell’s death.

A few days after his body was found at his bail address, he was buried in the Derry cemetery.

It’s believed only two people attended the short ceremony.

As well as Katie, Creswell also had a “controlling” relationship with a number of other women.

In June, three of them were convicted after admitting offences connected to Katie’s death.

Hayley Robb, Jill Robinson and Rose De Montmorency-Wright received suspended sentences after pleading guilty to a range of offences.

Robb (30), of Weavers Meadow in Banbridge, Co Down, admitted withholding information and a further two charges of perverting the course of justice.

She washed clothes belonging to Creswell and cleaned blood at his home.

Her two-year prison sentence was suspended for two years.

On March 17, 2021, Robb admitted during police interviews she had been in a sexual relationship with Creswell for a decade.

She said he was “extremely controlling”.

On one occasion, he had pushed her head and slapped her in the face.

Robb told police Creswell had told her he had given Katie “a hiding” the day before she was found after apparently having tried to take her own life.

When Robb followed Creswell back to the house at Gortnessy Meadows from the hospital and he told her he was having a cold shower, she thought it was a “normal thing” to do.

When he asked her to wash his clothes, he told her “not to breathe a word of it” to anyone.

Robb went to Robinson’s house and told her about Creswell beating Katie.

They both went to the outdoor launderette in Fintona, Co Tyrone, and washed the clothes.

Robinson (42), from Blackfort Road in Omagh, also admitted perverting the course of justice and was sentenced to 16 months, suspended for two years.

De Montmorency-Wright (22), from Craigantlet Road in Newtownards, Co Down, admitted withholding information between October 2020 and October 2021.

After Katie was taken to hospital, De Montmorency-Wright said she spoke to Creswell who told her he had hit Katie with a stick around the ankles and was worried “people would think it was him who had killed her”.

He said he hit her because of her new relationship with another man.

She later told police she did not make a statement at the time “in order to have Johnny’s back”.

De Montmorency-Wright was sentenced to eight months, suspended for two years.

It was stressed in court the three women were covering up Creswell’s assault on Katie, but were not aware at that time he had killed her.

Sentencing the three women, Judge Neil Rafferty said: “The number of witnesses; volume of evidence they give; and the detail and contents of these statements create an irresistible conclusion that Jonathon Creswell was a skilled and predatory abuser who regarded women under his influence as simply there to be used and abused for his own ends including his sexual gratification.”

Speaking outside Derry’s courthouse after the conviction of the three women, Katie’s mother, Noleen, said: “It’s heartbreaking to know the suffering that monster put Katie through.

“I can’t imagine how anyone could do such a thing. Katie would have fought back because she lived life.”

Mrs Simpson said not having a trial due to Creswell’s death had left the family with a “deep sense of injustice”.