My throat was slashed by maniac ex who hid in bushes wearing balaclava as I left for work – brave dad saved my life
WHEN Rosie Niessen left for work one morning, her monster ex was hiding in the bushes outside her house, ready to pounce.
Hearing footsteps behind her, thr 27-year-old turned around to find the masked maniac clutching a knife.
He slashed her throat and hacked at her face, neck and hands.
Incredibly, Rosie’s courageous dad, Roberto, 54, heard her screams and came to her rescue, but suffered a serious gash on his leg as he fought him off.
In January, Scrimshaw, 50, was jailed for 28 years after being convicted of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.
Now, Rosie, from Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, has spoken out to raise awareness of domestic violence, calling for the issue to be of greater focus during the election.
The prison officer says: “I hope my story will help others to spot the signs of an abusive relationship.
“Domestic violence needs to be taken more seriously and should be a bigger priority in the general election.
“I think victims need to be offered more protection by the law, and for sentences to be improved. My abuser received a custodial sentence, but others aren’t so lucky.
“Do you have to nearly kill someone to get time in jail?
“It happens to so many women and men, and these abusers can’t get away with it any longer.
“If it wasn’t for my dad that day, I wouldn’t be alive.”
Sickening spiral of abuse
The man who attacked her and left her for dead was her ex and father of her child, Simon Scrimshaw.
In 2017, Rosie met Scrimshaw after she bought wire from him at the scrapyard where he worked.
Despite being 23 years her senior, the pair immediately hit it off.
Rosie says: “He was really charming. We just clicked.”
Two months later, Rosie fell pregnant, but Scrimshaw ended things.
In July 2018, Rosie gave birth to their daughter, now five, and the pair rekindled their relationship.
Rosie says: “He left all the childcare up to me, refusing to dress or change our daughter.”
Eventually, Rosie told Scrimshaw that she needed a few days away from him.
But the next day, he turned up at her house and forced his way inside.
Rosie remembers: “He strangled me, before throwing me onto the stairs.
“Then, he raced up to our daughter’s room and I followed. But he choked me again against the wall.”
Rosie managed to call the police and Scrimshaw was arrested.
But that night, she dropped the charges.
Rosie says: “He made me feel like I needed him. So, I decided to give him another chance.”
Told her he was dying
But before long, Rosie and Scrimshaw argued constantly.
Whenever Rosie tried to break up with him, he’d guilt trip her into staying.
She explains: “He’d tell me his body was shutting down and that he was dying.
“When I spoke to my dad about Simon’s abuse, he told me to leave him. I knew he was right.”
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
In December 2022, Rosie ended things for good. She gave Scrimshaw a key to her house, so he could take their daughter to school.
The following month, Rosie started training to be a prison officer. But Scrimshaw continued to harass her.
He would tell her he loved her, while accusing her of seeing other men.
Rosie remembers: “One day, when I returned home from collecting my daughter from school, Simon was in my house.
“I phoned the police, and they arrested him.
“He was released on bail and ordered not to contact me.”
Rosie contacted a solicitor and applied for a non-molestation order against Scrimshaw. She was terrified of him.
Slasher hell
From then on, her dad cared for her daughter while she worked.
One morning, in March 2023, Rosie left for work. Her dad and brother were at her house looking after her daughter.
Rosie says: “I walked down the path and heard someone running behind me.
“As I turned around, someone wearing a balaclava grabbed my head and slit my throat.
He wouldn’t stop. The pain was unbearable and there was blood everywhere
Rosie Niessen
“Then he threw me onto the ground, before stabbing my face, neck and hands with a Stanley knife.
“I knew it was Simon. He was the only person who knew my schedule.
“He wouldn’t stop. The pain was unbearable and there was blood everywhere.”
Hearing Rosie’s screams, her dad appeared and jumped on Scrimshaw. The beast stabbed his right thigh, before running off.
A passer-by alerted the emergency services, and Rosie and her dad were rushed to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham.
There, Rosie had a CT scan and surgeons glued and stitched her wounds. Meanwhile, her dad had 50 stitches in his leg.
Rosie says: “Doctors said I was lucky to be alive.”
Scrimshaw was arrested but denied everything.
I couldn’t understand why Simon wanted the mother of his child dead
Rosie Niessen
During a two-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court, Rosie and her dad bravely gave evidence against him.
The court heard that Scrimshaw lay in wait for 40 minutes, hiding in bushes, before launching his attack.
He was found guilty of attempted murder against Rosie and grievous bodily harm against her dad.
In January this year, Scrimshaw was sentenced to 28 years in prison, with a further four on license.
Rosie says: “I was pleased with the result, but nothing will make up for what he did.
“Although my physical injuries were horrific, the mental impact was far worse.
“I couldn’t understand why Simon wanted the mother of his child dead.”
She adds: “Looking back, as an older man, he groomed me and made me believe I needed him.
“I’m determined to move on and give my daughter the best life possible.
“I’ll be forever grateful to my dad for saving my life that day.”