Ex-partner jailed for 28 years after ambush slashes prison officer’s throat; victim releases doorbell footage

A man who lay in wait and repeatedly slashed a prison officer with a Stanley knife has been jailed for 28 years after a jury found him guilty of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. The victim, 28-year-old prison officer Rosie Niessen, has for the first time released doorbell camera footage of the March 14, 2023, attack at her home in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

Prosecutors said Simon Scrimshaw, 50, hid in bushes outside Niessen’s home wearing a balaclava for about 40 minutes before she left for work at about 6:40 a.m. The video shows him ambushing her at the end of her driveway, seizing her and making multiple cuts to her throat, face, neck and hands with a Stanley knife. Neighbours and Niessen’s father intervened; a neighbour called police and her father attempted to restrain the attacker, suffering a wound to his leg. Scrimshaw was arrested at the scene.

Niessen sustained life-threatening injuries and was described at the time as being found in a pool of blood. At trial, she described instinctively protecting her neck and fighting back as the attack unfolded. "Life flashed before my eyes," she said. She has not returned to work since the attack and said she continues to live with physical and psychological scars.

Scrimshaw denied the offences, but a two-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court in January 2024 concluded with guilty verdicts for attempted murder and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The judge imposed a 28-year prison sentence and added a four-year extension on grounds of dangerousness. A lifetime restraining order was also made prohibiting contact with Niessen.

Prosecution evidence included the doorbell camera recording released by Niessen for public viewing for the first time. The attack occurred two days before a scheduled family court appearance in which Niessen had sought an order to keep Scrimshaw away from her. Court accounts say Niessen and Scrimshaw had met in 2017 and had an on-and-off relationship; they have a daughter together who was born when Niessen was 21.

In accounts given after the attack, Niessen said she had left the relationship in late 2022 and was co-parenting with Scrimshaw when the ambush took place. She has called the release of the footage a warning to others and urged victims of domestic violence to seek help.

During the trial the jury heard evidence about the planning and preparedness of the attacker, including the length of time he waited in concealment and the concealment of his identity with a balaclava. Scrimshaw’s conviction followed the presentation of CCTV and witness testimony, including intervention by family and neighbours who came to Niessen’s aid.

Niessen said the attack took "everything" from her, leaving her with visible scars and ongoing difficulties in returning to employment. She said the sentence and restraining order offered some reassurance but that she continued to struggle with the emotional aftermath. "I won't give up," she said, adding that she hoped sharing her story would encourage other survivors to stay strong.

The sentence reflects the court’s assessment of both the severity of the attempted killing and the risk posed by the offender. The lifetime restraining order prevents Scrimshaw from contacting Niessen and is intended to provide enduring protection.

Authorities and victim-support organisations have long identified affective and stalking behaviours as features in many domestic violence cases that escalate to serious physical harm. In this case, the proximity of the attacker on the morning of the assault and the timing before a planned family court appearance were cited in court as aggravating factors.

Niessen’s release of the doorbell footage adds to public record of the sequence of events and has been used by practitioners and campaigners to illustrate risks faced by survivors when abusers seek them out. Local police described the arrest and subsequent investigation as swift and comprehensive. Scrimshaw remains in custody to serve his sentence.