Killing of Joanna Simpson

Joanna Simpson (1964 - 31 October 2010) was a 46-year-old mother of two who was killed by her ex-husband, Robert Brown on 31 October 2010. Having dropped their children at her address, Brown entered the property and having argued with Simpson, he bludgeoned her over the head 14 times, killing her. Her murder was overheard by the couple’s children, aged 9 and 10-years-old. Having killed Simpson, Brown hid her body in a pre-dug grave in Windsor Great Park.

Killing of Joanna Simpson
Windsor Great Park, where Simpson's body was located
Location	Tuns Cottage, Windsor, Berkshire
Coordinates	51.2454°N 000.3825°E / 51.2454; 000.3825
Date	31 October 2010 (2010-10-31)
Attack type	Bludgeoned by hammer
Weapon	Claw hammer
Victim	Joanna Simpson
Perpetrator	Robert Brown
Verdict	Guilty
Convictions	Manslaughter by diminished responsibility, Obstructing a coroner
Sentence	26-years-imprisonment

He was arrested and charged with Simpson's murder. At court, he pleaded not guilty to murder, but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The jury found him guilty of manslaughter after hearing he had been suffering with an adjustment disorder at the time he killed Simpson. Brown was sentenced to 26-years-imprisonment for both manslaughter and for obstructing a coroner.

In November 2023, Brown was scheduled for release, having served half of his sentence. Simpson's family and friends campaigned for the Justice Secretary to utilise new powers afforded to him under the Police, Crime and Sentencing Act 2022, to block Brown's automatic release, which he did so. As of 2024, Brown is still in prison and will be required to face a Parole Board who will assess his suitability to be released, between the present day and when his sentence expires, in 2036.

Background

Joanna Simpson

Joanne Simpson
Born	Joanna Rachel Croft Simpson 1964
Died	31 October, 2010 (aged 46) Tuns Cottage, Windsor, Berkshire
Cause of death	Blunt force trauma to the head
Spouse	Robert Brown (1999-2007)
Children	2
Parent	Dianne Parkes (mother) Christopher Simpson (father)
Relatives	James (brother)

Simpson was born to Dianna Parkes and Chris Simpson in York, Yorkshire. She initially attended York College for Girls before her family moved to Laxey on the Isle of Man upon the sale of her father's building firm. It was here that Simpson attended Buchan School. Following time at a grammar school in Oxford, Simpson studied business at Bath University.

Having left University, Simpson set up an award winning bed and breakfast.

Simpson's step-brother described her as a "really loving mum".

Simpson was described by her friends, such as Hetti Barkworth-Nanton and Belinda Skudder, as an "incredibly loving, kind, caring person." A school-friend described her as an "always very vivacious, popular member of our class" and "always up for an adventure of some sort." Another friend remarked that she was a "really strong woman" and would "always be the person that you phoned if you were in trouble and she'd talk it through with you." She was described as approaching life in an optimistic way, described as "almost perfect in every way" and "the girl that everyone wanted to be."

Simpson had appeared in an advert for Activia yogurt, having been scouted to be involved and had also been approached by Dove.

Prior to her death, Simpson was the owner of an exclusive bed and breakfast, located on the outskirts of Windsor Great Park.

She lived in a mansion with two acres of land.

Robert Brown

Robert Brown
Born	1964/1965 (age 59)
Other names	British Airways killer
Occupation	Former airline pilot for British Airways
Known for	Killing Joanne Simpson and hiding her body
Criminal charges	Murder, Prevention of the lawful and decent burial of a dead body
Criminal penalty	26-years-imprisonment
Criminal status	Imprisoned (sentence expires in 2036)
Spouse	Joanne Simpson (1999-2007)
Children	2

Brown was from Edinburgh, with his father originally working in shipyards and his mother working for the Bank of Scotland. Brown stated that as a child, all he wanted to be was a pilot.

Brown was passionate about running, stating that he had been running since he was at university, describing that he was 'good at it'. He had been the UK trail-running champion three times.

Brown was a pilot and flew long haul flights for a number of years, usually to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. When he would return from long haul flights, Brown would either go up to his study or out running, appearing not to spend that much time with Simpson.

Brown was described as 'quite reserved', but this was put down to him being a 'serious airline pilot', with others describing him as a person who felt he could 'do what he likes.'

At the time of Simpson's death, Brown was a Boeing 747 captain with British Airways, with a salary of £150,000, noting: "It's a great job. Especially when you're the captain, you're the boss."

Friends of Simpson talked of Brown as being 'slightly distant', with it being difficult in getting to know him, and that he didn't really like them, describing him as having 'a chip on his shoulder.' It was wondered as to whether this was a 'class thing', with Brown being from a 'completely different background' to Simpson, with friends thinking that Brown was jealous of Simpson and that the pair were very different in their attitudes about life.

Rob was described as being rude to Simpson's friends when they visited, being dismissive and not wanting anything to do with her friends. They described how they never knew how Brown would react, noting how Simpson was more relaxed when Brown wasn't there.

As a couple

Simpson had been married previously to another man for three years, before the pair divorced amicably. Parkes described her daughter as feeling 'down in the dumps', when a friend, Andy, who worked as a purser for British Airways, suggested that Simpson travelled with him to South Africa, jokingly pretending that she was his fiancée (which people found funny, as Andy was gay). Simpson agreed to go, flying on 21 March 1998, with Brown, then a first officer, piloting the plane Simpson was on as a 'cling-on' (family members who join crew on a trip).

Simpson informed her mother that she had met Brown, with the couple visiting Parkes and her husband at her home on the Isle of Man. Parkes recounted that she immediately disliked Brown, and so did Simpson's father, due to Brown being 'rude', 'arrogant' and not 'coming over as a kind person at all.' Parkes added that if he made a mistake, Brown wouldn't apologies on any occasion. Parkes stated her and her husband couldn't understand what Simpson saw in Brown. However, Parkes stated she wasn't sure whether to tell Simpson or not that she didn't like Brown, thinking that Simpson was 'a bit on the rebound.'

The romance between Brown and Simpson was described as a 'whirlwind', with Brown moving in with Simpson in September 1998, into a house that Simpson had purchased with her first husband. Brown recounted that Simpson had suggested coming off of the contraceptive pill in November 1998, noting that she wasn't getting pregnant without being married.

Brown proposed to Simpson in Hong Kong on Christmas Day, after he had piloted a plane there as part of a Christmas trip he was working. Brown suggested that the couple got married in February, with the pair doing so on 13 February 1999, at a small ceremony of about 20 people, in Ascot. From proposal to marriage, it was noted that it was approximately six weeks. The family agreed that if Simpson was happy with the marriage, then so were they, however, Simpson's father had made the couple sign a pre-nup, with Simpson allegedly stating to Brown that it would be 'better in the long run' if he was to agree to this. Simpson's mother later recounted that at the time, Brown had agreed and stated that he wasn't interested in money.

For their honeymoon, the couple went to Cape Town in South Africa. It was whilst she was here, that Simpson contacted her mother and stated that she had made 'a terrible mistake' in marrying Brown. Brown appeared to change, with Simpson noting such things as his rude behaviour to the hotel staff. Various stories had also emerged from British Airways crew about similar behaviour.

It appeared also that Brown was having affairs with 'girlfriends' who were cabin crew. One woman had described to a friend that Brown was 'the love of her life.'

Despite the reservations that Simpson had about her marriage, she was determined to make it work. Simpson later became pregnant, finding out so in April 1998, where she was described as feeling 'trapped.' The couple's first child, Alex, was born in December that year. Simpson felt that she couldn't leave Brown, where she later became pregnant with the couple's second child, Katie, who was born in May 2000.

With Brown's occupation, Simpson thought that she shouldn't work, so she could be there for their children, wanting to be a 'totally on-hand mother.'

The family settled in Ascot at an address in a 'millionaire row' area, surrounded by Windsor Great Park. This allowed Brown to be near to Heathrow for his work.

Breakdown of relationship

As the years went by, Brown appeared to become increasingly rude and dismissive. On one occasion, a friend noted how a tear ran down Simpson's face, after Brown entered the room and said something. The pair hadn't been getting on well, with the marriage being seen as 'unhappy' by Simpson's friends. This had included Brown being 'distant' with Simpson, putting her down in front of her friends and making her feel 'worthless'.

Brown accused Simpson of having had an affair. This led to Brown phoning one of Simpson's friends, Skudder, asking: "Is my wife having an affair?" Skudder told Brown Simpson wasn't having an affair but Brown stated that he knew she was having an affair, he just didn't know with whom. Brown then found a name of a friend of Simpson's, who he believed she was having an affair with.

In January 2007, Simpson went to see a solicitor about the marriage.

In February 2007, whilst Brown was in Hong Kong with work, he phoned Simpson and told her that he was having 'really dark thoughts', such as thinking about killing her and their children with an axe and about committing suicide by crashing a plane, due to how he was feeling. Simpson put the phone down, distressed at what Brown had said and was unsure why Brown was doing what he was doing. She and a friend concluded that it felt as if Brown was saying the things to put more pressure on Simpson to keep things together with their marriage. Simpson called a friend of Brown's who then spoke to him and described how he was fine, which a friend thought confirmed her suspicion that Brown's behaviour was to put pressure on Simpson.

Brown threatens Simpson with a knife

On one occasion, Simpson arrived home late at approximately 22:00 GMT with the couples children, having taken them out. As Brown put one of them to bed, his daughter explained that the man that he thought Simpson was having an affair with had been with them. Brown confronted Simpson about this in the kitchen of the house, with Simpson denying this, with an argument starting. Brown emerged from behind Simpson, placing an arm around her neck and holding a knife against her chest. Simpson told her friend that Brown's eyes 'went dark' and, with the knife in his hand, Brown said, "I'm going to do it." Simpson attempted to appeal to Brown, remarking on what would happen to the children if he was to stab her, to which he replied: "I'll be in prison and you'll be dead." Simpson genuinely believed that Brown was going to kill her. Managing to talk him out of attacking her, she told Brown that she could no longer be with him. Brown stated that she could leave, but that she couldn't take the children.

At approximately midnight, Simpson rang Skudder, asking her if she could attend the address. Skudder obliged and, getting to the address, noted that Simpson looked like a 'rabbit in headlights.' Skudder noted that Simpson, despite being terrified, wouldn't let her call the police, as she didn't want the children to look badly on Brown.

Skudder and Simpson stayed in the kitchen until approximately 03:30 GMT, before sharing the bedroom, looking out on either side, whilst Brown slept in a spare bedroom.

Later that morning, at 07:00 GMT, Simpson called her mother and explained what had happened. Her mother told her to visit her address immediately, with Simpson getting the next flight to the Isle of Man. Letting her listen into a phone call with Brown, Simpson told him that she couldn't live with him again after what had happened. Brown replied that if she told anyone what had happened, it would be 'the worst' for Simpson.

When the marriage broke up, Brown met his girlfriend, a stewardess with British Airways, 'right away'.

Divorce

Proceedings related to the divorce occurred between Autumn 2007 and 2010, having been triggered by Simpson being threatened with a knife by Brown. This was centred around finances; Brown stated that he knew about trust funds that Simpson had on the Isle of Man and that she was hiding money from him. On one occasion, his own solicitor advised him to take what was being offered and leave the situation, but Brown refused, not accepting any offer.

Brown refused to leave Simpson, resulting in Simpson's brother arranging for her to have a bodyguard in the address, as Simpson was in fear of her life. After a long summer, with Simpson having applied for an injunction against Brown, the couple reached a personal agreement, whereby Brown promised not to go near to Simpson or her address for a year. Despite this, there were times that Brown was seen in the garden of her address and when he dropped their children back to Simpson, he would place his foot inside the address, as if to display to her that he still had control.

Simpson suspected that her friends were giving Brown information, but eventually discovered that, when Brown had moved out, he had broken in. She also learned that he had manipulated his children into giving him the new code for the alarm system. Through gaining access to the address, Brown was able to go through all of Simpson's private documents.

It was thought that Simpson's potential wealth could have influenced Brown into thinking she had money, despite her not being a million-heiress as people had thought.

Prior to the incident

Influence of Rachmacher v Granatino

Eleven days before Simpson disappeared, on 20 October 2010, there was a landmark ruling regarding prenups. German heiress Katrin Radmacher, at that time thought to be worth approximately £100m, won what was described as a 'landmark legal battle' regarding the terms of her divorce.

The ruling held that the prenup drawn up to protect Radmacher's £100 million fortune from her French-born husband Nicolas Granatino was legally binding. Granatino had claimed that Radmacher hadn't revealed her vast wealth before he had signed the agreement. While the case established for the first time that prenups are enforceable in the UK, courts still retained the discretionary right to veto them if they were found to be unfair.

Simpson, having heard about the ruling, contacted her step-brother and Barkworth-Nanton, excited that a precedent had been set by the case that may apply to her divorce proceedings. Barkworth-Nanton knew that it would have angered Brown that he wasn't entitled to any money.

Other events

Shortly before her disappearance, Simpson took her children to her mother's house on the Isle of Man during the school holidays. The children were then going to go back and spend the other part of it with their father.

Parkes recounted that as they got to the airport at the end of the trip, her daughter looked 'radiant' and 'very beautiful.' She kissed her, saying: "You take care, Jo." This was the last time her mother ever saw her.

Getting back to the United Kingdom, the children went to stay with Brown, with Simpson having a week with her friends.

Incident

On the afternoon of 31 October, Brown was due to take his children back to Simpson. Barkworth-Nanton noted that Simpson was excited to see them again, making a chicken curry and chocolate cake. Barkworth-Nanton said she was speaking to Simpson, when Brown texted her, wanting to drop their children back later, with Simpson agreeing they'd be returned to her at 16:00 GMT. Speaking to her at approximately 15:00 GMT, Simpson told Barkworth-Nanton that Brown had arrived early, with Simpson asking for her to stay on the phone. However, she told Barkworth-Nanton that Brown had then driven off again. Despite it being unusual, Barkworth-Nanton knew that Brown used to stalk her, so the pair thought nothing of it, agreeing to speak later on. Skudder also left a message on Brown's phone but heard nothing back.

Simpson would normally have another person with her when Brown returned the children, as she was frightened. However, at that time, Barkworth-Nanton was in Bath, Somerset, and Skudder was travelling home, having been away for half term. The friends thought that Brown had moved on with his life, with his girlfriend being six months pregnant at that time. Simpson thought that he wouldn't do anything to jeopardise the new life he was building.

Brown returned the children, with the children running into the family room, through the kitchen. This wasn't far away from the front door, where the couple began arguing. Brown struck Simpson 14 times with a hammer, with Katie later recounting to her grandmother (Simpson's mother): "Granny, it was bang, bang, bang."

Witnessed by Katie, Brown then carried Simpson, noting that her leg was dangling down as he put her into the boot of his vehicle. At some stage, Brown went into the master bedroom of the house, removing the CCTV unit for the house out of the cupboard.

When Brown was about to drive off, Alex and Katie went into the hallway of the house to ask what was happening. He told them to get into the car, with the children doing so, knowing that their mother was in the boot. Alex asked his father whether he was going to take his mother to hospital, to which Brown did not reply. Brown drove to the house he shared with his girlfriend, where he dropped the kids off before disappearing. He was not seen for 12 hours and he turned off his phone.

Brown took Simpson's body to a remote area of woodland in Windsor Great Park, where he had previously dug a shallow grave. Having placed Simpson's body in a plastic garden box, he buried the box.

Simpson is reported missing to police

On the morning of 1 November, Simpson's housekeeper and friend, Marcia Farrer, who had worked for Simpson for ten years, arrived at Simpson's address, noticing the police activity, including a helicopter in the air. Telling the police that she was Simpson's housekeeper, they explained that Simpson was missing, asking whether Farrer knew where Simpson kept her suitcases. Farrer explained to police that Simpson hadn't told her she was going away anywhere.

A friend rang Simpson's mother, Parkes, asking whether she had spoken to Simpson that morning. Her mother explained that she hadn't, to which Simpson's friend told her that he had received a 'worrying call.' Her mother was told that there was yellow police tape around the house, to which Simpson's mother immediately remarked: "He's [Brown] killed her". Parkes attempted to call Simpson on her mobile and on her landline. Police wouldn't initially tell Parkes anything, however, they later explained that Simpson couldn't be located, with her mother and son, James, taking the next available flight from her home on the Isle of Man, to the United Kingdom.

Simpson's friend, Barkworth-Nanton, also received phone calls, with Skudder calling her several times and explaining that Simpson had gone missing. Another of Simpson's friends, Amanda, texted Barkworth-Nanton, asking: "Is this true? Is this our Jo?"

Skudder, another of Simpson's friends, received a call at approximately 11:30 GMT from the school of Simpson's children, as she was on the list of contacts for the children if there was an issue. The school asked whether Skudder knew where Simpson was, as her children hadn't attended school on that day. With Simpson's mother having collected Simpson's children from Brown's brother, Skudder put the family up in her home.

Barkworth-Nanton also went to Skudder's home, where her and Skudder provided statements to the police.

Parkes hoped at that stage that her daughter had been locked up and was still alive. Skudder thought that Brown had perhaps put Simpson into the boot of his car, putting her in a car park at Heathrow Airport, where she was still alive.

From speaking to one another, Simpson's friends established quite quickly that something was wrong, knowing that Simpson wouldn't just leave her children.

Investigation

The investigation was led by Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) Detective Chief Inspector Steve Tolmie. The investigation had a team in excess of 100 people.

DC Corinne Bowler was allocated as the Family Liaison Officer (FLO) for Simpson's family, linking the investigation and her family. DC Bowler could tell immediately that the family were sure that Brown had some part in Simpson's disappearance.

Police searched through the undergrowth in the two-acres of land on Simpson's property. Blood had been located at Simpson's address, with staining on a rug and small amounts near to the fireplace. Police noted that there were no obvious signs of a disturbance, with nothing having been knocked over in places where blood was located.

Near to Simpson's vehicle, two pools of blood was located in gravel, however, there was no trail. Smears of blood were also located within Brown's Volvo vehicle.

On the morning of 1 November 2010, Brown made a phone call to police, requesting an appointment to discuss a "serious domestic incident" that he had been involved in.

Brown's phone call raised concerns about Simpson's welfare, with the police dispatching officers to her address. Forcing entry into the property (under s17 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984), police found blood on the stairwell of the address, but Simpson was not in the address.

Brown, on attending Maidenhead Police Station for the booked appointment he had made over the phone, was arrested on suspicion of murdering Simpson. Police assumed that as Brown had handed himself in, that he was going to disclose what had happened and where Simpson was.

The phone call was listened to by DCI Tolmie, who noted that Brown was 'very careful' in the words that he used, describing him as 'fairly calm'.

Interviews

Brown was subject to a series of interviews, approximately nine in total, conducted by senior interviewing officer, DC Melanie Ward and another officer, in Interview Room 5 at Maidenhead Police Station. At that stage, DC Ward had experience of dealing with a number of murder suspects.

1 November

The interviews within the first 24 hours that Brown was in custody consisted of direct questions as to where Simpson was, as whilst Brown had been arrested on suspicion of murder, police believed there was a chance that Simpson could still be alive.

Asked by DC Ward to tell her what he knew had happened to Simpson and where she was, Brown replied: "No comment." DC Ward was taken aback by this, given that Brown had handed himself in.

Brown continued to provide a no-comment interview, through gritted teeth, including when asked about any injuries he knew that Simpson had sustained or if he had killed her. DC Ward got no sense of Brown's concern about Simpson and stated she could feel his anger.

During his interview, the phone call that Brown had made earlier that day to police was played. Brown was asked by DC Ward what he meant when he had phoned police and used the words 'serious issue', asking him what was the serious nature of the issue, however, Brown stated: "No comment". Brown remarked that the police operator had lied, when she stated about confidentiality regarding what he was reporting.

DC Ward asked Brown who had been harmed, after hearing he had said one person had been on the call, as well as asking what he meant by no-one needing any medical attention. DC Ward also asked whether this meant that the person who had been harmed didn't need medical attention, as they were dead. To all questions, Brown continued to reply: "No comment".

DC Ward found Brown 'very arrogant'. She wasn't sure whether this was because her and the other interviewing officer were female or whether Brown thought he was of a 'superior intellect'. However, she described how 'there was an air of contempt' about Brown during the interview.

DC Ward stated to Brown in his interview that he had called police wanting to speak to them, but he was there now with them in the interview, intimating that it was his opportunity to speak to them. However, Brown continued to maintain a no-comment response.

DC Ward found it 'quite awful', noting that Simpson was potentially needing medical treatment for serious injuries and life-saving intervention, but Brown wasn't disclosing any information to assist with that. She thought that Brown replying 'no comment' was an effort to control the situation.

Account from the children

With Brown providing a largely no-comment interview regarding what had happened to Simpson, whilst not ideal, the police decided to attempt to get the children, Alex and Katie, aged nine and ten-years-old, to provide an account.

Police needed information quickly to progress the investigation, but children can take years to provide an account in cases of a sensitive nature. As such, specially trained officers worked alongside a children's psychologist.

The process was too traumatic for Alex, so police were unable to interview him. Katie, however, was interviewed.

Police interviewer: "And then what happened?"

Katie: "They got into a fight and they were hitting each other."

Police interviewer: "Okay. Tell me about the fight Katie. What could you hear?"

Katie: "Just banging..."

-- Katie sobs --

Katie: "And then Dad put Mum in the car, and said he hurt her and he said he was taking Mum to the hospital but I don't know what happened. He came back at seven in the morning and I don't know about Mum."

Police interviewer: "All right, sweetheart."

— Portions of the police interview of Brown and Simpson's daughter, Katie, about what had happened to her mother

Brown is reinterviewed

2 November

The following day, Brown was subject to his fifth interview regarding the case.

The decision was made that in this interview, DC Ward would ask Brown all about himself, with Brown being told the purpose of the interview was to gather background information, in order to attempt to break the rhythm and barrier of Brown providing a 'no comment' interview.

Despite feeling concerned that they were 'behind schedule', DC Ward noted the importance of finding out more about Brown as it let him feel as if he was being heard whilst allowing police to see the type of person Brown was. DC Ward suspected Brown of being a 'narcissist'.

Brown appeared to play the victim in the divorce, telling police how Simpson wanted him out of the house, stating that she had told people he had allegedly threatened her with a knife, which he denied. He added that the police were never involved and nothing had happened but that Simpson 'knew what she was doing', adding that she had 'no grounds for divorce'.

DC Ward noted that Brown appeared to be 'obsessed with their wealth and status.' He stated that he never saw any financial documents and just went by what he was told by Simpson. However, he later recalled that a letter stating there was a trust fund worth £25m was placed on his desk in a bundle of documents, but that Simpson hadn't told him about this (despite it being found he had broken into the address to find out this information).

Brown stated that the reason the divorce, that he described as acrimonious, took so long was due to delays caused by the involvement of prenups. He revealed that he was meant to have been at the High Court on 8 November. DC Ward found that this was the building of a clear motive.

An extract of the video-recorded police interview with his daughter was shown to Brown, in an attempt to try and trigger an emotion from him. Brown listened to the interview to the interview, in which his daughter sounded distressed. Police told Brown that they thought his daughter needed to know where her Mum was, to which he replied: "Sorry, no comment."

Police continued to ask Brown questions regarding his daughter's interview, such as whether she was making it up or what the reason would be if she was lying, to which Brown continued to reply: "No comment."

It was around this stage that DC Ward predicted that the investigation wasn't concerning a missing person, but rather that Simpson wasn't alive. She stated that all she wanted was to know where Simpson was, and for Brown to tell them exactly what happened. DC Ward noted that from her experience murder suspects usually displayed remorse, but that Brown had instead appeared to show only hatred.

DC Ward continued with her questions, asking whether Simpson was still alive when Brown had placed her in the back of the car, asking whether blood that had been found was her's.

3 November

Despite being quite happy to talk about the relationship between him and Simpson, Brown continued not to provide any answers about Simpson's disappearance or the allegations that he had assaulted her.

Within interview, Brown told detectives that he would only talk about events up to a certain point, stating: "Because events are still too messed, I'm...Just wanna make no comment on...on that day." DC Ward was conscious of that, therefore wanted to keep pushing the timeline, explaining to Brown that they would continue with substantial questioning. At one stage, police managed to push it over to that day.

Brown described the day of Simpson's disappearance as 'pressured'. This moved the boundary of what he was willing to talk about to be the point of when he had taken the children to Simpson's address. As DC Ward asked him about this, particularly the time of 16:00 GMT, Brown replied: "This is area that I' just...can't speak, I can't, I don't...I can't, I just...my brain says no. So no comment."

DC Ward questioned as to how the timeline could continue to be pushed, to get Brown to recount what had happened. She recalled how Brown had arrived at the cottage, however, Brown replied: "We're getting to the stage where I...I'm getting a block. I don't wanna say anything else."

DC Ward put it to Brown that they knew Simpson was at the address, asking Brown how long he was talking to Simpson. However, Brown replied “no comment” to this question and others. He later recounted that they had spoken about the children, stating this was about schools, when asked what he had been talking about.

As DC Ward asked Brown to explain further, having shown him forensic photos of blood within Simpson's address, at 15:07 GMT, he asked to speak to his solicitor, with the interview being stopped. At this stage, DC Ward thought that the interview had lost it's momentum and that Brown had intentionally stopped the interview.

Brown and his solicitor had a twenty-minute consultation. When the interview restarted after this, his solicitor explained that Brown had put a brief, one page statement together. At approximately 15:58 GMT, the solicitor read the statement out, for the benefit of the interview recording:

"When I returned the children, I had an argument with Jo concerning schools. This was after three years of acrimonious court proceedings and a long history of interference with contact with my children.

Eventually, I lost control and pushed her. What happened next I do not clearly remember. She was injured. I placed her in my car in the back and took the children to my house where my girlfriend was able to look after them.

I was intending to take her [Simpson] to hospital. I do not know why I did not call an ambulance. I discovered she was dead, and panicked. I tried to hide her in a box from the garden centre and buried her in Windsor Great Park. I would be prepared to show officers where this is."

At the conclusion of the statement being read out, Brown became emotional, saying: "It's a horrible mess, I'm not proud of myself”. Despite not being able to stop crying, DC Ward didn't think that his emotional reaction was in reference to being remorseful with what he had done to Simpson or for his children, rather realisation of the situation that he now faced.

Brown told police that he'd made the decision to kill Simpson on the day, having a hammer with masking tape wrapped around it that he had put into one of his children's homework bags. Brown stated that he repeatedly hit Simpson over the head with the hammer, before he panicked and quickly put Simpson into the back of his car.

DC Ward continued her questioning of Brown, in order for the police to be assisted with locating Simpson's body. Brown explained how the area was: "...very steep in places and rocky" and that it was "not managed", so there were "big trees down there and branches everywhere." He told DC Ward that he carried and dragged Simpson's body downhill.

Brown stated: "You know what it's like, it's like a cup, isn't it?" adding: "everybody's got their tipping over point. If you add in all the lawyer stuff, the school stuff, the financial stuff, the next court case, the kids get on your back, your...all the stuff you've gotta do, suddenly..."

Simpson's body is located

4 November

On the morning of 4 November, DC Ward continued her questioning, asking what Brown's state of mind was like at the time the argument had become physical. Brown stated: "Well...even in my head, I...it's difficult to sort of put things together now from, you know, from when...to then suddenly when I just lost it. It's...I can't really, from that point, say at the moment to you what happened with any surecy [sic]."

He continued: "Everything in my head's so messed up. If I...I'm not sure what things happened, what I did." Asked whether there was anything he remembered, including through flashbacks, Brown stated that he'd prefer to say no comment at that time.

DC Ward asked: "Were you thinking at this point, Robert, whether it's logical or sensible or rational? Were you thinking at this point that you could get away with this?" Brown replied: "Never."

He was questioned more, with DC Ward asking Brown whether he had already worked out what he was going to do, shown by him purchasing a garden box prior to Simpson's death. He replied with no comment again.

Brown agreed to accompany police to the location where he had hidden Simpson's body, explaining that the police wouldn't be able to find the area without his assistance.

In handcuffs, Brown took police to an area just south of Legoland, an area at least a mile from the nearest road, Brown, remaining calm, led police to a remote area of woodland, of dense undergrowth. The area was under a flight path from Heathrow; one Brown would have regularly flown. Having lived locally, police believed that Brown would have potentially run through the woods where he buried Simpson, knowing how quiet the area was in terms of foot-traffic.

Police began scraping away leaves and assisted by archeologist Professor John Hunter, began excavating the area.

Professor Hunter later described how the area was "very difficult to excavate". He explained that prior to excavation, he dug a small hole, that revealed there was top soil, under which was hard, heavy clay. He added that the amount of clay that had to be moved by Brown was between 400 to 500 kilograms, approximately the weight of five or six people. He noted that some of the clay had been put back on top, but that the majority of it had been moved elsewhere, however, the top of the grave had been left "exactly the same level as clay in the surrounding landscape."

Approximately 1ft (12 inches) below the surface, police discovered the top of a plastic garden container, which they removed from the ground.

A pathologist was also in attendance, with the box being opened at the scene, revealing Simpson's body inside a black surf bag, that had been tied with straps. Within the insides of the crate was a tarpaulin that had been fixed with nuts and bolts. Police also located a scene suit, typically worn by forensic's officers, that was covered in Simpson's blood, alongside pairs of nitrile rubber gloves, overshoes, duct tape and cable ties.

The pathologist examined Simpson's body and pronounced life extinct.

Despite Brown's prepared statement stating that he had dug the grave at the time he had taken Simpson's body to the woodland, Professor Hunter believed that Brown had been back and forth to the site several times, and believed that the container had been put into the ground potentially some weeks before Simpson's body was put in it. He thought this, as the container which was rigidly crammed into the grave, with no space on either of the sides of it, due to the clay having slumped onto it.

5 November

Simpson's family were informed, with Parkes and her son, Simpson's brother, having to identify her body. Parkes stated that at first, she didn't recognise her. Parkes described Simpson as being "incredibly pale", with one side of her face being covered with a piece of fabric, protecting the family from seeing disfigurement that Brown had inflicted. Parkes asked for this to be moved, seeing "what he'd [Brown] done to her." Parkes and her son were told not to touch Simpson, with a member of staff stating that Simpson's body was "all so fragile." Parkes stated that this was a moment in her life that she would never forget.

Parkes had to explain to her grandchildren "what I'm sure they already knew." Parkes told them that she would live with them and that they could continue going to school, however, Simpson's children explained that they wanted to return with her to the Isle of Man. Parkes recalled how when the children went to school, she would visit horses that she owned, cuddling them as she wept into their manes. Parkes stated that without the children, she didn't think she would have survived, with the children being her 'salvation'.

Having been informed of their mother's death, Parkes asked them if they wanted to go to where their mother had been located. They replied that that they wanted to. Police took Parkes, her grandchildren and Simpson's friends decided to go to the location where Brown had buried Simpson, with Parkes and the grandchildren leaving flowers. The children remarked to Parkes that they knew the area where their mother was buried, as they had made a den nearby. It emerged that Brown had taken the children to the woods, the week before he killed Simpson and it was suspected that Brown would go off and dig the grave whilst the children were nearby at the den.

When the police had finished their examinations at the cottage, Parkes returned, sleeping in her daughter's bed, to which she said she found it 'comforting'.

Post-mortem

Simpson's post-mortem was conducted at Wexham Park Hospital in Berkshire. It revealed that she had been attacked in a brutal manner with some sort of claw hammer, with Brown having beaten her around the head with 'heavy force', with Simpson having been struck at least 14 times, all around the head area. Simpson's body showed signs of self-defence injuries, where she had raised her hands in an attempt to protect herself.

DCI Tolmie believed that any of the strikes could have been fatal, with DC Ward noting that the anger she saw in Brown in his interviews reflected the injuries that he had caused Simpson.

Burial

Simpson was buried on land belonging to her family on the Isle of Man. Her headstone reads:

In
Loving Memory Of
Joanna Rachel Croft Simpson
Jo
1964 - 2010
Devoted Mummy to Alex and Katie
Adored Daughter of Diana and Christopher
Cherished Sister of James

Forget-me-not flowers from Simpson's garden were brought over to the Isle of Man and adorn the headstone, with Parkes stating that her daughter would have liked to put plants with it.

Legal proceedings

Brown appeared at Slough Magistrates Court, where the court heard that Simpson had suffered "a violent, unnatural or sudden death." Brown was remanded in custody.

On 11 May 2011, Brown appeared at Reading Crown Court. The trial was set to last three weeks, but last ten days.

Brown denied murdering Simpson, but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The defence provided a psychiatric report that stated Brown was suffering from a mental disorder at the time he killed Simpson.

The first time a psychiatric diagnosis was made was when Brown was visited by the defence psychiatrist, who diagnosed him as having a stress-related, adjustment disorder. This type of disorder is within the same grouping as, for example, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but at a lower level.

The defence psychiatrist told the jury that particularly stressful moments in Brown's life had contributed to the disorder, such as the acrimonious divorce. The psychiatrist explained that this could cause a person to become mentally and emotionally unstable, thus impairing Brown's ability substantially to control himself.

Dr Philip Joseph, a consultant forensic physiatrist for the prosecution, disagreed with the defence psychiatrist's findings that Brown was suffering from a disorder. Having visited Brown in prison, Dr Joseph stated that Brown presented as "an intelligent man, a resilient person", describing him as "somebody who was in control". It was Dr Joseph's opinion that Brown would have been unlikely to have continued as an airline pilot if it was found he couldn't deal with stress.

On the first day of the trial, Skudder gave evidence relating to the knife incident that had occurred previously, where Brown had held a knife to Simpson's chest on the night the marriage ended. In court, Brown denied this event had happened, stating that Skudder had made the event up.

The prosecution attempted to show pre-meditation that would show murder and not manslaughter, such as Brown having previously dug the grave and of taking a hammer to Simpson's address, hiding this within one of his children's bag's to get it into the address.

The defence attempted to show that Brown was in fact a victim, picking on Simpson's character and personality, how she was 'rich' and 'controlling' (regarding the pre-nup) which made Brown's life 'very difficult'.

Brown gave evidence at the trial, something that isn't common in a case where a defendant has provided a defence of diminished responsibility. Brown was described as 'confident' and 'well presented' when giving evidence. When providing evidence, Brown painted Simpson in a negative light, describing her as a "scheming, rich brat". He stated that he'd been driven to what had happened by years of recriminations and divorce proceedings that were bitter. This was particularly over the pre-nup he alleged he'd been forced to sign, in which he felt he'd been stitched-up and was an attempt for him to be deprived of money he felt he was owed.

Brown explained that he had gone into the shed where bikes were kept, picking up a hammer, stating he wasn't sure why he'd picked the hammer up. He stated that he concealed the hammer in his daughter's bag of homework, taking this bag with him to Simpson's cottage, but couldn't explain that. He stated that he brought the bags into Simpson's address, stating that they had an argument regarding medication. He stated that during this argument, he went to his daughter's homework bag, appearing to get the medication. However, he then stated to the court, he then couldn't remember anything more. He stated that the next thing he remembered was after Simpson's body had been hidden, where he realised that he had the CCTV unit and the hammer with him, burying those items somewhere in the Windsor Great Park (these items were never recovered by police). He stated that he had put the box into the ground in a secluded location in order for him to put court papers and documents about the divorce into; things that he wanted to hide from his memory to "bury the sham of his marriage." He stated that this would act as a time capsule, so that in later life, he could show his children that he wasn't to blame.

Dr Joseph noted that Brown's demeanour during the trial was important, noting his ability to communicate with the jury, with what he said or apparent emotional distress. At one stage, Brown broke down, slumping on a desk, loudly sobbing. He apologised directly to Parkes and her son. Dr Joseph stated that it was suggested that Brown may have been "overdoing the level of emotion that he was displaying."

On May 24, the trial ended.

Deliberations

It was noted that there was 'quite dramatic evidence' within the case, which indicated Brown's level of pre-meditation, which would warrant a conviction for murder, not manslaughter.

Simpson's friend, Barkworth-Nanton, thought that with the evidence that was presented, that the jury would have completed their deliberations in a 'couple of hours." The jury did in fact return in a couple of hours, however, this was to ask what the definition of an adjustment disorder was. She later stated: "I've never been in a situation where your heart is beating so hard, it feels like it's going to jump out of your chest", with Skudder telling her she could hear Barkworth-Nanton's heart.

Verdict

The jury delivered a not guilty verdict for murder. At the verdict being given, DC Ward wondered whether she had heard correctly, noting the look on the judge's face, who appeared shocked. There were audible gasps within the courtroom.

On hearing the verdict, Brown smirked, smiled and nodded at the jury. Parkes was said to have the 'right presence of mind' by Barkworth-Nanton to leave her seat and exit the courtroom.

Friends, family and members of the police sat in a room and sobbed. Family Liaison Officer, DC Bowler, later stated: "As a professional, you have to accept and abide by the jury's decision, but as a person..." DC Ward later stated: "I don't know if this is the right thing to say, I remember looking over at that jury with such contempt."

Sentence

The judge kept the jury in the court to hear the sentencing.

"You had an abnormality called 'adjustment disorder.' This condition disappeared shortly after you killed your wife. Your responsibility, though diminished, remains substantial. You intended to kill, you intended to conceal the body and to hide the evidence of the killing."

— A section of Brown's sentencing remarks

The comments were described as "pretty damning", with one of the jurors, an older lady, putting her head into her hands when she heard the judge's sentencing remarks.

Brown was sentenced to 26-years-imprisonment. Hearing the sentence, Brown shook his head in disbelief. The sentence was 24-years-imprisonment for manslaughter by diminished responsibility and 2-years-imprisonment for obstructing a coroner. This was considered as a very long sentence for manslaughter, particularly by diminished responsibility.

Despite being pleased with the sentence length, Simpson's family and friends stated there had been a miscarriage of justice for: "It's murder in all but name":

"Robert Brown is an intelligent man who has had five months on remand to contrive a cunning plan to make out he was suffering from diminished responsibility."

— Some of Parkes statement to the press on the day Brown was sentenced

DCI Tolmie told the press that although the judicial chapter had ended, that it was Simpson's children people should feel sorry for, as they and their family would have to endure the rest of a 'nightmare' for the remainder of their lives.

Aftermath

On leaving the police years later, DC Ward later stated that there were certain cases and families that stayed with her since leaving, noting Simpson's death as one of them.

Brown's scheduled release from prison

Barkworth-Nanton stated that it took nearly two years to discover that Brown would be released half-way through his sentence, when he'd served imprisonment, not having to apply for parole, but would be entitled to be freed. This is due to the law in England and Wales in 2011 providing that a person will serve a determinate sentence if they are convicted of manslaughter and not murder. The law states that they will serve half of their sentence in prison, with the rest on license, meaning they are subject to conditions, monitored by the National Probation Service. If a person breaches these conditions, they can be recalled to prison.

When Brown is released from prison, Simpson's family and friends won't know where he'll live, despite them being allowed to decide exclusion zones that he cannot go (such as where his children are and Simpson's friends are) as part of his license conditions. Parkes stated that to her, it was 'pinpointing' to Brown where they were.

Parkes stated how Brown had lost his job, status and his home, but "most of all, he's lost his children" and that they would "never, ever forgive him, never." Simpson's step-brother thought that this made Brown "very, very, very dangerous", given the hatred he had previously, with him wondering what Brown could be capable of after getting out of prison.

Campaigning

1 March 2023

With Brown's imminent release due in 251 days time in early November, Barkworth-Nanton and Simpson's family and friends held a campaign event, stating they were campaigning in order to "protect ourselves and the public." This was through new rules that were introduced by the s132 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 that allowed the Justice Secretary the power to stop the release of any prisoner they believe poses a serious risk to the public, referring their case to the Parole Board to decided whether or not they should be released. This power can only be used when a case meets certain criteria. That is, on reasonable grounds, the Justice Secretary must believe that if a prisoner was released, they would pose a 'significant risk to members of the public of serious harm.' There were only a handful of cases where the Justice Secretary had used these powers.

Amongst Simpson's friends and family, speakers at the event included former Home Secretary, the Right Honourable Priti Patel, politician and Jess Phillips, who was then Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding, as well as Carrie Johnson, a domestic abuse campaigner and the wife of former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

Phillips said: "I lose my temper all the time. I don't bludgeon someone 14 times, stab someone 17 times in the heat of the moment." Johnson said: "Hetti [Barkworth-Nanton] told me Joanna's story and about Robert Brown's imminent release. I was horrified. It was so obviously wrong." Johnson explained she had experienced the feeling of being a 'sitting duck', as described by Parkes and Barkworth-Nanton - Johnson was drugged by taxi-cab driver and serial rapist, John Worboys, who had been due for release much earlier than expected, describing it as "another circumstance where the law was badly letting victims down and failing to do it's job to protect woman." Johnson campaigned for a judicial review of Worboy's case, leading him to him remaining in prison; a similar campaign that Simpson's family and friends were running in her case.

Barkworth-Nanton stated that what was occurring was: "...against a backdrop of a probation service that's been branded as unsafe." This referenced what Justin Russell, HM Chief Inspector of Probation, had spoken to the media about on 24 January 2023, where he said: "The way the probation service assesses and then manages the risk of harm that people on probation can present to the public is broken and does need fixing."

18 May

It was announced that the Justice Secretary, the Right Honourable Alex Chalk KC MP, had promised to give 'personal attention' to Simpson's case. Parkes and Barkworth-Nanton met with Chalk at the Ministry of Justice offices at 102 Petty France, at one of his first meetings as the Justice Secretary, later telling Laura Kuenssberg on her show, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: "...it was so, so appalling to hear what happened. I found it personally very painful to hear, and the family have my word we will do everything we can."

Simpson's step-brother did fear that Parkes' campaigning meant she was putting "a target on her back" for Brown, with Barkworth-Nanton noting that Brown: "Absolutely does not obey rules when it means that he can't get what he wants." Parkes defiantly stated: "I just wish he'd come and kill me, and then he'll definitely be shut away, and then everybody'd fell safe. I'm 84. I've lived my life. I walk the dogs down the drive in the dark at night. He could easily jump out and kill me, and then it would all be solved."

Skudder hoped that Brown wouldn't be 'out for revenge', adding that the 'really scary thought' had played on her mind since Brown had been jailed, with her thinking how Brown may have met people within prison that he may like to send to Skudder's address. She added that she had always looked over her shoulder on dark, wintery mornings.

19 July

With 111 days left until Brown's automatic release, Parkes and Barkworth-Nanton were in the process of finalising a bundle of evidence to Chalk. Several of Simpson's friends and family wrote statements, including Barkworth-Nanton and Skudder, as well as Simpson's children, brother and mother, Parkes:

"The best thing that's happened is that Alex and Katie have been amazing. They have both been to university and gained degrees. There have been numerous occasions when I wished I could have told Jo how well they were doing.

I cannot put into words how much I miss her. She was the person in the family we all turned to when we needed answers on just about anything.

We've gone to great lengths to prevent photos being taken by the press [of Simpson's children] to keep them safe from him, so he will not know what they look like."

— A section of Parkes statement to Chalk

Simpson's son, Alex, wrote:

"For the last thirteen years, I have not spoken about my thoughts on my father's release. I am most of all concerned for my maternal grandparents who cannot defend themselves. I do not want to live with this perpetual fear that I'll lose yet more of my close family. I never want to see my father again, but if he is released now, then that power is entirely in his hands."

— A section of Simpson's son, Alex's statement to Chalk

At the time of his trial, Simpson's daughter Katie hand-wrote a letter to judges. This was included to be sent to Chalk, which said:

"Dear Judges,

I am Katie Brown my father killed my mummy and I am scared if he comes out of jail too soon he might come back and hurt me because I heard him killing my mummy.

He is the most evilles [sic] man I have ever known and I wish he wasen't [sic] my father.

From Katie"

— A section of Simpson's daughter, Katie's letter to the original trial judges, 2011

Barkworth-Nanton, who had suffered with complext PTSD after losing her friend wrote a statement which read:

"I fight hard to stay on a level and not let the trauma of the last 12 years surface. When I do let myself think about how I will feel on his release, I fear that I will live in a constant state of high alert and anxiety. It makes me sweat and sometimes struggle to breathe just thinking about it. I can't write down the images I have in my mind of some of the things he did to Jo, and his face and eyes still haunt me."

— A section of Barkworth-Nanton's statement to Chalk

Whilst the family and friend's of Simpson were against Brown's release, it was unknown what information Chalk had access to that showed Brown had rehabilitated whilst in prison.

10 October

With 28 days until Brown's automatic release, Chalk published his decision. Whilst Barkworth-Nanton met with Chalk in person, Parkes, Simpson's stepbrother and children joined via video link from the Isle of Man.

Barkworth-Nanton likened awaiting Chalk's decision to that of awaiting the verdict at court, twelve-and-a-half years before.

Chalk decided that Brown would not be automatically released from prison, exercising his power to do so. This meant that Brown would be referred to the Parole Board:

"What I've always said to the family, who have been so unbelievably passionate but also dignified, is I will act within the law to keep the public safe. Anybody who's heard about the story of Joanne Simpson cannot fail to be affected by the appalling nature of it. And I have looked very carefully at all the material in this case, I have done so personally and with care. And that's why I have exercised my discretion to block his automatic release. I pay tribute to Joanna's mother and to Joanna's friends for the tireless campaign they've made."

— Chalk's statement to press about blocking Brown's automatic release from prison, 10 October 2023

Appeal

Brown had the option of appealing Chalk's decision, as Chalk was overturning something that was previously decided by the judge at Brown's original trial. He challenged the decision at the High Court, however, was unsuccessful, being dismissed by Mr Justice Ritchie on 28 February 2024.

It was ruled by a judge that Brown would have to be assessed by the Parole Board as to whether he remained in prison or could serve the remainder of his sentence on license. This assessment will be based on psychological, medical, prison and probation reports, as well as an interview between the board and Brown. All of these would allow the Parole Board to assess Brown's risk and state of mind.

A statement written on behalf of Brown by legal representatives stated: "Mr Brown has been subject to a campaign in the media and political classes by family members of the deceased who disagree with the jury's verdict. Trial by media...is not a substitute for the processes in place that determine criminal justice. A jury verdict is entitled to proper respect in any truly fair society."

Honours

In the 2024 New Years Honours List, Parkes and Barkworth-Nanton were awarded CBEs for services to people affected by domestic abuse and homicide.

See also

• Domestic violence
• Domestic violence in the United Kingdom
• Refuge (United Kingdom charity)