Lake Illawarra man chased victim with knife after 'cutting his own throat'

Keenan Adrian Simon, 26, faced Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, February 28 where he pleaded guilty to a string of domestic violence offences.

Tendered court documents state Simon breached an earlier-imposed apprehended violence order by arriving at the Illawarra home of his ex-partner about 12.30pm on February 14, 2023.

Simon went inside the home from the back entrance and into a bedroom where he spoke with the woman. He became aggressive after the woman started recording him on her phone due to feeling unsafe.

Simon tried snatching the phone before he sat on top of her.

He then dragged the woman, causing a carpet burn and a bruise on her knee, before he punched her television and phone and headbutted the mirror and wardrobe.

Simon picked up a shard of glass from the shattered mirror and started to cut his throat with it, while the woman attempted to leave.

Simon grabbed her by the shirt and punched upwards. She told him he was hurting her but Simon claimed: "I'm not actually hitting you."

In the kitchen, Simon continued to intimidate the woman by hurting himself several times when the woman didn't answer his questions.

The woman pleaded with Simon to leave but he refused, unleashing derogatory slurs towards her.

Simon also threatened to stab himself with a knife before he grabbed a second knife and started stabbing fruit in a bowl, before he chased the woman around the kitchen and threatened to kill her.

When Simon appeared calmer and entered the bedroom, the woman grabbed her phone and car keys fled to her mother's home.

Three days after the attack, police arrested Simon at an Albion Park address where he was found hiding under a pile of blankets.

A forensic examination confirmed Simon's DNA and fingerprints on shards of glass and a kitchen knife handle.

In court, Simon stood up as he confirmed guilty pleas to aggravated break and enter, aggravated use corporal violence enter with intent to commit serious indictable offence, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, damaging property, intimidation, and contravening an apprehended violence order.

He remains on bail and will receive his punishment date on March 22.