A man was sentenced to prison after a doorbell camera captured him slashing the throat of his former partner as she left for work, a court heard.
Simon Scrimshaw, 50, was found guilty in January 2024 of attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Nottingham Crown Court in England and was handed a 28-year custodial term with an additional four-year extension for dangerousness. The attack, recorded by the victim’s doorbell camera, took place on March 14, 2023, in Hucknall.
Prosecutors said Scrimshaw hid in bushes near the victim’s home wearing a balaclava for about 40 minutes before striking as the woman left for work at about 6:40 a.m. The victim, 28-year-old prison officer Rosie Niessen, was attacked with a Stanley knife and suffered deep cuts to her face, neck and hands as she fought to defend herself, the court was told.
Niessen’s father, Roberto Niessen, 55, who works as a doorman, heard her screams and intervened, jumping on Scrimshaw’s back and receiving a wound to his leg while trying to save his daughter. A neighbor called police and Scrimshaw was arrested at the scene.
Scrimshaw pleaded not guilty but, after a two-week trial, jurors convicted him of attempted murder and of wounding with intent. The judge imposed a lifetime restraining order prohibiting contact with Niessen.
Prosecutors told the court that the attack occurred two days before the pair were due at family court, where Niessen had applied for an order to keep Scrimshaw away from her. At trial, jurors viewed the doorbell camera footage and other evidence the prosecution said left no doubt about Scrimshaw’s actions.
Niessen told reporters that she had met Scrimshaw in 2017 and that the relationship produced one daughter, now seven. She said the relationship had been volatile, and that she ended it at the end of 2022. "He hid in the bushes for 40 minutes. What kind of person does that?" she said. "I was protecting my neck — it was instinct. They said I was in a pool of blood. They didn’t know if I was going to make it."
Niessen has not returned to work since the attack and has described ongoing physical and psychological scars. She said she hoped sharing her experience would help other victims of domestic violence. "Stay strong. No one who loves you should lay a finger on you," she said.
The case was reported by U.S. media, including the New York Post. The verdict and sentence follow testimony and evidence presented at Nottingham Crown Court that detailed the premeditated nature of the attack and its impact on the victim and her family. The court record shows the judge considered the defendant dangerous when deciding to add the statutory extension to the custodial term.
Scrimshaw’s conviction and the lifetime restraining order concluded the criminal proceedings against him; family court matters that were pending at the time of the attack were separate from the criminal case. Local authorities and victim support services typically advise that restraining orders and criminal convictions can be complemented by civil remedies and support for survivors, though the specifics of such measures vary between jurisdictions.
The footage of the incident and Niessen’s public statements have been cited by advocates and media as an example of the risks faced by victims of intimate partner violence and the challenges of securing safety through both criminal and family court processes. Authorities said the investigation was led by Nottinghamshire Police and resulted in Scrimshaw’s immediate arrest at the scene after the neighbor’s call for help.