Man who beat partner in Dorset hotel sentenced

Simeon Chambers, 26, of Stroud, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating and one count of causing actual bodily harm on April 15 at the Queens Hotel in Meyrick Road, Bournemouth.

He appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday.

Prosecuting, Laura Deuxberry told the court Chambers had been seeing the victim for around two months.

She said the first assault happened on March 6 this year when the pair spent the night together.

Chambers asked the victim what she was doing on her phone before he “dragged her to the bedroom”, causing friction burns.

The court heard how the victim had to remind the defendant she was a mother before he “snapped out of it”.

The second assault occurred in Castle Lane Apartments when an argument broke out resulting in the defendant kicking his partner out the bed causing bruising to her arms. He then stood above her and spat on her, the court heard.

On April 15, the couple had been staying at the Queens Hotel and the defendant woke up “in a bad mood”.

Ms Deuxberry said: “The defendant went to the bathroom, as he came back and tried to get back into bed the defendant sat on top of her.

“He strangled her with both hands for ten seconds. The complainant thought she may have even lost consciousness.

“The defendant hit her left side of her face three or four times. The defendant strangled her for a second time, this time placed one hand over her mouth.

“He then hit her again on the other side of her face. She was terrified, she thought she was going to die.”

The court heard how the victim suffered bruising and a cut to the face.

“He said ‘you should kill yourself,” Ms Deuxberry continued. “In response she said, ‘I’ll jump out the window’. She ran to the door of the room.”

A victim impact statement read to court heard how the victim struggles sleeping and has flashbacks to the “embarrassing incident”.

The defendant had seven previous convictions for 14 offences, including ABH in 2019.

Mitigating, Kevin Hill said Chambers accepts responsibility and was “ashamed” of his behaviour.

He said the defendant’s “greatest concern” was losing his new flat, but he accepted it was a potential consequence. He asked the judge to consider a suspended sentence.

However, Judge Keith Cutler sentenced Chambers to 18 months for inflicting ABH, and three months each for the two assaults, all to be served concurrently.

Judge Cutler said: “It is all very sad because it seems you completely blew it.

“[The victim] thought that you were the man she was going to spend her future with, but your behaviour towards her was so that that has all ended.

“She did nothing to deserve any of that at all. What should have been a happy time ended with you being very nasty and unpleasant towards her, attempting to strangle her, punching her.”

A restraining order was also imposed preventing Chambers from contacting the victim.