“THEY WILL GET OUT — ISABELLE NEVER WILL”: HEARTBROKEN DAD DEMANDS TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR HIS DAUGHTER’S KILLERS

Joshua Welsh thought the guilty verdicts would finally bring him some sense of justice.

Instead, the sentencing left him even more devastated.

The father of two-year-old Isabelle is now calling for her mother, Alexandra Walker, and her partner, Harrison Simpson, to receive whole-life orders after both were convicted in connection with the little girl’s death.

“ISABELLE WON’T HAVE A LIFE”

Both Walker and Simpson were sentenced to life in prison.

Simpson received a minimum term of 27 years and 231 days, while Walker was given a minimum term of 21 years and 48 days.

For Joshua, those sentences were difficult to accept.

He says the thought of Isabelle having no chance to grow up while her killers could eventually leave prison has left him furious and heartbroken.

He now wants the courts to impose whole-life orders.

A FATHER WHO THOUGHT HIS DAUGHTER WAS SAFE

Joshua says he believed Isabelle was being properly cared for by her mother.

He had lived with Isabelle and Walker during the early part of his daughter’s life and described having an extremely close bond with her.

He last saw Isabelle only days before her second birthday.

Joshua says he had never met or even heard of Simpson before the man was arrested in connection with Isabelle’s death.

He now says he struggles with the knowledge that he had no idea what was happening behind closed doors.

A MISSED ARREST WARRANT

One of the most painful discoveries for Joshua came after the trial.

Simpson had an outstanding arrest warrant dating back to March 2024, around 18 months before Isabelle’s death.

According to Cleveland Police, multiple attempts were made to locate and arrest him, but those efforts were unsuccessful.

The force has since acknowledged that the length of time the warrant remained outstanding was inadequate and said changes have been introduced to improve how outstanding warrants are tracked and supervised.

Joshua believes this represents one of several opportunities when authorities might have intervened.

ISABELLE’S FINAL DAYS

During the five-week trial at Teesside Crown Court, prosecutors presented evidence of serious injuries suffered by Isabelle.

The court heard she had multiple fractures, while the judge described the violence inflicted upon her as “sadistic.”

Paramedics attended her home in Thornaby on September 13, 2025.

Isabelle was taken to hospital with an unsurvivable head injury and was pronounced dead the following day.

Walker was convicted of murder and child cruelty.

Simpson was convicted of murder, sexual assault by penetration and child cruelty.

“I WANT TO BE HER VOICE”

Joshua says he is still struggling to process what happened to his daughter.

But he also wants Isabelle to be remembered for who she was — a happy, affectionate little girl whose smile could light up a room.

He says his goal now is to become her voice and make sure her story is never forgotten.

He also wants other parents to be more cautious about who they allow to care for their children.

THE QUESTIONS THAT WILL REMAIN

For Joshua, the guilty verdict answered one question — but the wider questions surrounding the case remain deeply painful.

Could authorities have acted sooner?

Could the outstanding warrant have made a difference?

And should the sentences have gone further?

Those are questions that will continue to follow the case.

Isabelle was only two years old. Her father says he will carry a lifetime of grief — while the people convicted of taking her life could eventually walk free. Now he is determined to fight for what he believes his daughter deserves: justice that lasts a lifetime.