Cleveland Police has admitted that a warrant for Harrison Simpson's arrest was left unexecuted for 18 months before he sexually assaulted and murdered two-year-old Isabelle Welsh.
Simpson, 22, and the child's mother, Alexandra Walker, 26, were convicted of murder and child cruelty at Teesside Crown Court last week. Simpson was also found guilty of sexual assault, while Walker was cleared of that charge.
Isabelle suffered weeks of abuse, including 21 broken bones, before collapsing at her home in Thornaby, Teesside, in September.
Warrant issued after court no-show
The warrant for Simpson's arrest was issued by Teesside Magistrates' Court in March 2024 after he failed to attend court for breaching a non-molestation order, an injunction designed to protect domestic abuse victims. The order is understood to have been put in place after reports that Simpson had harassed and threatened a woman.
In a statement, Cleveland Police said: "Multiple enquiries 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."
Life sentences
Ms Justice Norton jailed Simpson for life with a minimum term of 28 years and six months, and Walker for life with a minimum of 22 years, both minus time spent on remand. The judge said Isabelle's murder was the final act in a sustained campaign of violence that the pair attempted to cover up.
Prosecutor Paul Abrahams told the court: "This was a campaign of quite deliberate extreme violence."
Ms Justice Norton said: "Any death is a tragedy. The death of a very young child at the hands of those who should have cared for, protected, and loved her – as she no doubt loved them – is particularly distressing for all involved."
The judge said the toddler sustained an unsurvivable head injury in the 24 hours before she died in hospital. Isabelle was sexually assaulted around the time the fatal blow was inflicted, she added.
Police changes after review
Cleveland Police said the review led to recent changes, including improved visibility across the force around outstanding warrants, a comprehensive data system tracking all warrants, and stringent oversight including a governance group led by a superintendent.
