A reporter has won a double courtroom fight to identify multiple people connected to a murder case whose names had been made secret.

Tanya Fowles, pictured, has succeeded in getting reporting restrictions lifted that had prevented the naming of witnesses relating to an investigation into the death of 21-year-old showjumper Katie Simpson.

In addition, a separate interim order granting anonymity to Hayley Robb, who faces four counts of withholding information in relation to the case, has also been lifted.

Robb, 29, had been granted the order on the basis she would self-harm if identified, however this was found to be unsubstantiated and the ban on reporting her name was dropped.

The other restrictions were in place despite the names of many people connected to the case having been named in previous coverage of the case.

Jonathan Creswell, 35, is charged with murdering Ms Simpson in August 2020, as well as with raping her at some point in the run-up to the alleged incident.

The restriction relating to the witnesses was imposed during a High Court bail application for Creswell in 2021.

Numerous people relevant to the case were banned from being named including Christina Simpson, who is both Ms Simpson’s sister and the partner of Creswell, despite their identities having already been widely published from previous hearings.

According to Tanya, the press were not put on notice or given any opportunity to engage with the court at the time, with police and prosecutors claiming it was to protect further witnesses from any concern of coming forward.

Despite this, the order remained when the investigation concluded “and the issue of anonymity being lost was ignored”.

In her successful submission, Tanya wrote: “This order was not procedurally adhered to in application or grant and when press raised this with both the PPS and High Court it was deemed necessary to ensure further witnesses would not be perturbed in coming forward with information on the investigation.

“That investigation was completed some time ago and press respectfully submit the RRO is no longer justified.

“In addition, the persons to whom RRO applied had already been widely identified in press during earlier coverage including High Court bail hearings, all of which remains accessible and available if required.

“Anonymity was therefore lost in this regard even before the RRO was granted.”

Robb and another woman, 41-year-old Jill Robinson, are also jointly accused of perverting the course of justice by washing Creswell’s clothes, while Rose de Montmorency-Wright, 22, is accused of withholding information.

Creswell and the women appeared at Derry/Londonderry Magistrates Court on Wednesday for a committal hearing.

All were remanded on bail to appear at Laganside Crown Court for arraignment on a date to be fixed.