A mother and her boyfriend were found guilty Tuesday of murdering a two-year-old girl who suffered a fractured skull, catastrophic brain injury, and 21 broken bones in the weeks before her death.
Alexandra Walker, 25, and Harrison Simpson, 22, were both convicted of murder and child cruelty at Teesside Crown Court. Simpson was also found guilty of sexual assault of a child. Sentencing is scheduled for Thursday, when both defendants will receive life sentences. The minimum term each must serve before being eligible for parole will be set by Ms Justice Norton at that hearing.
Isabelle Welsh collapsed at her home in Thornaby in September 2025 and died in hospital the following day. Prosecutors told the court the abuse began shortly after Simpson entered Isabelle's life following the start of his relationship with Walker in June 2025.
Walker called 999 on the afternoon of September 13 to report that her daughter had collapsed. Isabelle suffered her fatal injuries that morning while alone with Simpson, while Walker was upstairs in bed after a drink and drugs binge, the court heard. Doctors later found Isabelle covered in bruises in addition to the 21 broken bones and fractured skull.
Prosecutors argued that the extent of Isabelle's injuries was so obvious that Walker must have known what was happening, and that she allowed Simpson to spend time alone with the girl despite suspecting he was a paedophile. The court heard that Walker prioritized her new relationship over the safety of her daughter.
Simpson claimed he had no motive for harming the child. Walker said she had not hurt her daughter and was unaware of any abuse. Both defendants blamed each other for Isabelle's injuries. Jurors reached their verdicts after approximately six and a half hours of deliberation. Simpson was found unanimously guilty on all charges. Walker was convicted of murder by a majority of 11 to one and of cruelty unanimously. She was found not guilty of sexually assaulting her daughter.
In a statement released after the verdicts, Isabelle's family 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. While today's verdicts cannot undo the pain caused or bring Isabelle back, it does mean justice has been served."
