Mother and boyfriend convicted of murdering toddler

A mother and her boyfriend have been convicted of murdering her two-year-old daughter, who suffered weeks of horrific abuse before a fatal head injury. Alexandra Walker, 26, and Harrison Simpson, 22, were found guilty on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at Teesside Crown Court for the death of Isabelle Welsh in Thornaby, Teesside.

Isabelle collapsed at her home on September 13, 2025, and died in the hospital the following day. A jury unanimously convicted Simpson of murder and convicted Walker by a majority of 11 to one. Both were also convicted of child cruelty, while Simpson was additionally convicted of sexually assaulting the toddler. Walker was cleared of the sexual assault charge. The pair are scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, July 30.

Prosecutors described Isabelle's death as the endpoint of a sustained campaign of violence. A post-mortem examination revealed she had suffered 21 broken bones and numerous soft-tissue injuries in the weeks leading up to her death. Medical experts concluded the fatal head injury, which fractured her skull and damaged her brain, was caused by shaking and her head being impacted against a wall or floor.

Evidence presented during the trial painted a...