Cleveland police failed to arrest a paedophile for breaching a non-molestation order, 18 months before he sexually assaulted and murdered his girlfriend's two-year-old daughter, a court heard. The revelation came as Harrison Simpson, 22, and Alexandra Walker, 26, were sentenced at Teesside crown court on Thursday for the murder of Isabelle Welsh.
Campaign of violence
Isabelle died on 14 September 2025 after what police described as a "campaign of violence" against her. The toddler collapsed at her home in Teesside after weeks of abuse that left her covered in bruises and with 21 broken bones. Simpson was also convicted of sexually assaulting Isabelle before her death; Walker was cleared of that charge.
The pair were jailed for life, with minimum terms of 28 years and six months for Simpson and 22 years for Walker, both minus time spent on remand. The judge, Justice Norton, described Isabelle's murder as "distressing" and said the two-year-old had endured a "sadistic" campaign of abuse.
Missed arrest warrant
Cleveland police admitted that officers failed to execute a warrant issued by Teesside magistrates court for Simpson's arrest in March 2024, according to the Sunday Times. Simpson had failed to attend court for breaching a non-molestation order, an injunction designed to protect victims of domestic abuse. The order was in place after reports Simpson had harassed and threatened a woman.
In a statement, Cleveland police said: "Multiple inquiries and arrest attempts were carried out to try to locate and arrest him, but these proved unsuccessful." The force added: "We recognise the time Simpson had an outstanding arrest warrant is far from adequate. A review of this was immediately conducted upon his arrest for murder."
Police changes after review
The review led to "a number of recent changes, such as ongoing improved visibility across the force around outstanding warrants, a comprehensive data system which tracks all outstanding warrants, and stringent oversight including a governance group led by a superintendent," the statement said.
Det Ch Insp Steve Chatterton, the senior investigating officer, said the case was one of the worst he had dealt with. "The pain and suffering she experienced at the hands of Walker and Simpson was sickening," he said. The family of Isabelle Welsh previously said: "Isabelle should have had her whole life ahead of her, but she was taken from us in the most heartbreaking way. She was so loved and our lives will never be the same without her."
