Co Derry horse trainer remanded in custody charged with murder of young woman The man appeared at Derry Magistrates Court Rebecca Black, PA
A Co Derry man has been remanded in custody accused of murdering a 21-year-old woman.
Jonathan James Cresswell, 33, of Briar Hill Gardens, Greysteel, has been charged with the murder of Katie Simpson on August 3 2020.
Appearing by videolink at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court on Saturday morning, Cresswell confirmed he understood the charge against him.
He was described in court as a horse trainer.
A detective sergeant told the court on August 3 that Northern Ireland Ambulance Service had been called to a suspected attempt by a woman to take her own life.
Updated / Sunday, 7 Mar 2021
07:09
A County Derry man has been remanded in custody accused of murdering a 21-year-old woman.
Jonathan James Cresswell, 33, of Briar Hill Gardens, Greysteel, has been charged with the murder of Katie Simpson on 3 August 2020.
Appearing by videolink at Dungannon Magistrates Court yesterday morning.
He was refused bail on the grounds of risk of reoffending, risk of flight and risk of interference with witnesses and the police investigation.
A district judge ruled: I am satisfied that the defendant s previous conviction regarding a serious domestic assault does give rise to a risk of reoffending when one compares it to the facts of this case, and his previous actions in terms of leaving the jurisdiction when being sought by police also gives rise to a risk of flight.
Jonathan Cresswell appears in court charged with murdering 21-year-old Katie Simpson
The 33-year-old has been charged with the murder of Ms Simpson on August 3 2020
Stock image (Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
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BBC News
Published
image captionGortnessy Meadows where an incident is alleged to have occurred in August 2020.
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a 21-year-old woman who police initially thought had taken her own life.
Jonathan James Cresswell, 33, of Briar Hill Gardens, Greysteel, is accused of the murder of Katie Simpson following an incident in Gortnessy Meadows, Lettershandoney, on 3 August 2020.
The defendant appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court via video link on Saturday.
He was remanded in custody.
The court heard Mr Cresswell called an ambulance to the house and said he had found Ms Simpson attempting to take her own life.