Teesside mother and boyfriend convicted of murdering 2 year old in Thornaby
A mother and her new boyfriend have been convicted of murdering her two-year old daughter, at her home in Thornaby
Last updated 28th Jul 2026
A Teesside woman and her new boyfriend have been convicted of the murder of her 2 year old daughter.
Isabelle Welsh suffered 21 broken bones in the weeks before she collapsed at her home in Thornaby, Teesside, last September.
Her mother, Alexandra Walker, 26, and Harrison Simpson, 22, denied murder, allowing the death of a child, sexual assault and child cruelty.
After almost seven hours of deliberations, a jury at Teesside Crown Court convicted Simpson unanimously, and Walker by a majority of 11 to one, of murder.
They also convicted the pair of child cruelty.
Simpson was convicted of sexual assault on the toddler, while Walker was cleared of that charge.
Ms Justice Norton thanked the jury for their work on such a “difficult” case.
She will pass sentence on Thursday morning.
As Isabelle was dying, Walker delayed ringing 999 despite Googling “why would my toddler be bleeding” and she smoked a cigarette in her kitchen.
She first called her step-father to come round and it was only on his instruction that she finally alerted the emergency services.
When paramedics arrived within a minute, they found bruises all over the little girl’s body including to her head, neck, abdomen, back and private parts; there was blood in her nappy and sick on her face.
Isabelle was not breathing and was cold to the touch as medics battled in vain to save her and she died the next day in hospital.
A post mortem revealed the extent of her injuries – that her skull was fractured, her brain damaged and that she had been sexually assaulted.
Experts told the jury that Isabelle had been shaken and her head impacted against a wall or the floor.
During her short relationship with Simpson, she voiced concerns that he might be a paedophile, and thought it was “weird” that he preferred to see her and Isabelle at the same time, rather than be alone with his girlfriend.
But Walker did not break up with him, even though she was suspicious enough to check if he was on the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Just 11 days before her fatal collapse, Isabelle was taken to her GP and then to hospital with a broken leg.
Despite misgivings of some staff, the little girl was discharged to her mother who had shown aggression towards medics when concerns were raised about what had happened.
Walker explained that Isabelle must have hurt her leg when it got caught in her cot.
On that occasion too, Walker had waited two weeks to seek medical help for Isabelle, despite the toddler being in pain and struggling to walk.
Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: “For weeks this child had been violently assaulted and her death, by that terrible head injury, was simply the end point in that campaign of violence to which she had been subjected.”
The prosecution said both defendants had ample opportunity to harm Isabelle and the abuse would have been obvious to anyone who lived in the two-bedroom house.
Videos taken last June – prior to Simpson coming into her life – showed the little girl happily playing, healthy and smiling.
The couple had met on Facebook Dating earlier last summer and Simpson became a regular visitor to the house where Walker and Isabelle lived together.
Walker had suffered from domestic violence previously and she had two cameras installed in her home, with one overlooking the back of the house that captured evidence reflected in a window.
The camera showed how Walker was a frequent drinker, sometimes downing up to 10 cans of Stella Artois, and Simpson was a habitual cannabis smoker.
The couple sold cannabis at times and Walker explained how bouts of self-harm which were caught on her CCTV were attempts to get out of selling drugs.
The CCTV footage also proved that Isabelle suffered a broken leg while in the sole care of Simpson.
Walker’s concerned mother said “looks like she is being abused” during one visit after Isabelle’s leg was broken.
Simpson also bathed Isabelle without Walker’s permission while he supposedly looked after the two-year-old when her mother attended a hospital appointment.
The night when Isabelle was fatally injured, the couple stayed up late, with Walker drinking cans of lager and Simpson smoking cannabis.
The next morning Simpson got up – claiming to be looking after Isabelle – while Walker stayed in bed.
In a horrific twist of fate one of the nurses who treated Isabelle’s broken leg – and who had concerns about her care – was on duty when she was brought back to University Hospital of North Tees, in a state of collapse 11 days later.
Simpson and Walker were arrested after Isabelle’s death.
Simpson declined to answer police questions and did not give evidence at the trial.
Walker gave various accounts of what happened, eventually telling police she now believed her boyfriend had been abusing her daughter.
Mr Wright said Walker did not protect her daughter, saying: “On the contrary, she delayed, she deflected, and she failed to act when action was most urgently required.”
Outside court, Isabelle’s father Josh Welsh said justice had been done and that his daughter’s murderers deserved whole-life sentences.
Asked what she meant to him, Mr Welsh said: “My little girl… my whole life has been shattered, my whole family.
“My sisters and brothers have lost their niece.
“It means the world to me that we have justice for Isabelle.”
Following the verdicts in court, Isabelle’s family today said in a statement: “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.
“Whilst today’s verdicts cannot undo the pain caused or bring Isabelle back, it does mean justice has been served. We will remember Isabelle forever and ask for privacy as we continue to grieve as a family.”
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Steve Chatterton, said: “Isabelle suffered catastrophic injuries at the hands of the very people who should have loved her, cared for her and protected her. Her life was cruelly taken in the most tragic and heartbreaking circumstances.
“She should have had a lifetime of opportunities ahead of her. Instead, Walker and Simpson robbed Isabelle of her future and deprived her family of watching her grow up and achieve those milestones that so many take for granted.
“Today, Walker and Simpson have been held accountable for their actions. While no outcome can ever undo the immense loss suffered by Isabelle’s family, I hope this result provides some measure of justice and helps them as they continue to come to terms with their devastating loss.
“Our thoughts remain firmly with Isabelle’s loved ones. I would also like to thank everyone who contributed to this investigation. Throughout what has been an exceptionally distressing and challenging case, they showed unwavering professionalism, compassion and determination in ensuring that justice was secured for Isabelle. I’m also grateful for the expertise of the Crown Prosecution Service in securing this conviction.”
Kirstie Devine, District Crown Prosecutor, from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Isabelle Welsh would be alive today if it wasn’t for the shocking violence she suffered at the hands of her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.
“Alexandra Walker and Harrison Simpson subjected her to appalling abuse and did not seek medical treatment for Isabelle even when it was clear she was extremely unwell.
“During her evidence, Walker repeatedly claimed she never hurt Isabelle and wasn’t aware of Simpson doing so. However, Walker only called 999 when told to do so by a family member but sadly, nothing could be done to save Isabelle, and she died a few hours later.
“The prosecution presented a raft of evidence including pathology reports, expert medical evidence, CCTV from the home, records of text messages and phone conversations that showed only the two adults who were regularly with Isabelle could have harmed her.
“I thank the jury for sitting through a very difficult trial and the public can rest assured that they now face many years in prison.
“I also thank colleagues from Cleveland Police for their dedication to the investigation of Isabelle’s death and the subsequent partnership working between police and CPS to secure the convictions achieved today.”