A mother who thought she had found love with a 'charming' new boyfriend was instead subjected to a campaign of cruel and demeaning assaults, a court has heard. Simon McKeown, 46, initially presented himself as the ideal partner, taking the recently divorced woman out for fancy meals and lavishing her with gifts. However, the relationship quickly turned violent, culminating in him placing a soiled puppy pad over her face and battering her in a hotel.
The Beginning of the Relationship
The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, met McKeown in the Grange pub in Moreton in December 2024, shortly after the breakdown of her 16-year marriage. They exchanged phone numbers and began dating. Prosecutor Suzanne Payne told Liverpool Crown Court that the relationship initially appeared good. 'The defendant was charming. He took the victim out for nice meals. In those first couple of weeks, things were good. In her words, 'I fell for him, head over heels',' Payne said.
The First Signs of Trouble
However, the couple argued over the Christmas period, leading the victim to cancel a planned New Year's Eve meal where she intended to introduce McKeown to her son. McKeown instead booked a room at the Baltic Hotel. The evening started well, but he left her alone at around 9:30pm without explanation. He returned 90 minutes later with flowers and a bottle of whisky. When she FaceTimed her 21-year-old son at midnight and spoke to his friend, McKeown accused her of fancying her son's mate. He then slapped her across the face, causing her to fall off the bed. She ended the relationship the next day but eventually forgave him and resumed the relationship.
Escalating Violence
After a brief period of calm, McKeown's violence escalated. On one occasion, when she tried to leave his house by climbing over the back gate after an argument, he pulled her back and placed a puppy pad soaked in urine over her face, leaving her struggling to breathe. He then threw her to the floor and went inside. He later tried to win her over by buying her gifts, including trainers, a hoodie, and leggings.
In another incident, after she spoke to another woman in Jenny's Bar in Liverpool city centre, McKeown dragged her outside, accusing her of swapping numbers with the woman. In September last year, after she enjoyed a spa day with friends, McKeown banged on her door in the early hours, accusing her of having another man in the house. A week later, he collected her from Hamilton Square Station after a pop-up DJ event and took her back to his house. When she showed him a video of her behind the DJ booth, he became angry, threw her around the room, and accused her of sleeping with the DJ. She tried to flee, but he dragged her back each time. She eventually pretended to call the police at 6am, causing him to flee.
Desperate Escape
After the assault, McKeown later attended her home and threatened her son, forcing her to join him in his van. When he stopped in traffic, she jumped out and ran into the Kings Arms pub in Rock Ferry for help. However, she was ordered to leave and returned to McKeown's van. He then took her to the Acorn in Bebington, claiming they were going for a meal. She ran into the pub again, seeking help from staff. McKeown drove away but returned to find her smoking a cigarette outside. He screamed in her face and swiped a glass from her hand. When staff member Rhiannon Kennedy intervened, he turned his anger on her, screaming in her face and invading her personal space. He left again but called the pub's phone demanding to speak to his partner. He returned 30 minutes later, acting aggressively. Another worker, Joel Clarke, tried to calm things down, but McKeown placed his hands on Ms Kennedy's shoulder and screamed in her face. When Clarke intervened, McKeown grabbed him by the neck and pushed him backwards by his throat before leaving. He was arrested later that day.
Impact on the Victim
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman described how she lost her job and became estranged from her son due to the relationship. She said, 'Initially, Simon was attentive and affectionate, presenting as the ideal partner. I now recognise his behaviour as love bombing. It was not genuine. As the relationship progressed, this façade quickly gave way to controlling and abusive behaviour.' She added, 'Within about two months, my life changed dramatically. Everything began to unravel. I lost my job, my relationship with my son broke down. Over the 10 months of the relationship, I was left feeling emotionally drained. I felt worn down and broken.' Regarding the puppy pad assault, she said, 'Afterwards, I felt physically sick, violated and unable to get rid of the smell. He later laughed about incidents such as this and then used them to taunt me. Simon has never taken accountability for his actions.'
Sentencing
McKeown, of Edgehill Road in Moreton, had nine previous convictions for 14 offences, including eight months for dangerous driving in 2019. He admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and four counts of assault. Appearing via video link from HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for 31 months and handed a five-year restraining order. Recorder Ben Lawrence said, 'She describes a lasting psychological impact on her. She found the assault with the puppy pad particularly degrading. She felt particularly helpless, because it restricted her breathing.' The judge noted that McKeown had shown some acceptance of responsibility but seemed to blame the victim, describing 'trust issues' and claiming self-defence.
Defending, Helen Chenery said McKeown apologised to his victims and understood the seriousness of his behaviour. She said he had been reflecting on his behaviour while in custody and was working in the prison kitchen, playing for the prison football team, and undertaking courses. She argued that he would benefit from structured intervention, which he was not receiving in custody.
