Cleveland police failed to arrest a paedophile for breaching a non-molestation order, 18 months before he sexually assaulted and murdered and his girlfriend’s two-year-old daughter, a court heard.
Isabelle Welsh died on 14 September 2025 after what police described as a “campaign of violence” against her. The two-year-old collapsed at her home in Teesside after weeks of abuse that left her covered in bruises and with 21 broken bones.
The toddler’s mother, Alexandra Walker, 26, and Walker’s boyfriend, Harrison Simpson, 22, were convicted of murder and child cruelty on Thursday after a trial at Teesside crown court.
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.
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, which is an injunction designed to protect victims of domestic abuse, when the warrant was issued in March 2024.
It is understood the non-molestation order was in place after reports Simpson had harassed and threatened a woman.
Cleveland police said in a statement: “Multiple inquiries and arrest attempts were carried out to try to locate and arrest him, but these proved unsuccessful.”
It 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.
“This review, along with a determination to continually improve our processes around suspect management, has 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.”
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At the sentencing, Justice Norton said Isabelle’s murder was “distressing” and said the two-year-old had endured a “sadistic” campaign of abuse.
“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.
A statement by 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.”
The senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Steve Chatterton 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.
