Man brutally assaulted woman who was murdered by her partner months later
A WOMAN was found bloody and shaking by police after being brutally beaten by a “friend” on Christmas Day. Just months after the assault, she was murdered by another man.
Georgina Dowey, 46, was attacked at her home in Glyncoch, Pontypridd, on December 25, 2022 by Andrew Lewis after he forced his way into the house. He punched her, headbutted her, kicked her twice with his boots and threw her over his shoulder, causing injury to her head.
Ms Dowey was murdered on May 6 last year by her partner Mathew Pickering, who left her body on the toilet floor of his Neath home as he went shopping and visited his parents.
He had beaten and strangled her before putting a plastic bag over her face. Pickering was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 17 and a half years.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court heard Ms Dowey and Lewis, 56, had known each other for two years, and she would help him by giving him food and letting him visit her home.
He had previously told her that he wanted a relationship with her, but she told him she was not interested.
On Christmas Day 2022, Lewis repeatedly visited Ms Dowey’s home, but she was unwell with the flu and had called the police as she did not want the defendant to come back.
At around 2.30pm, she was sleeping in bed when Lewis again knocked at the door. She went down to speak to him, and he asked for £10, to use the toilet and for alcohol.
Prosecutor Marian Lewis said Ms Dowey had told Lewis she wanted to get back to bed as she was feeling ill. Without warning, he put his foot inside the door to prevent her from shutting it and repeatedly punched her to the face with both of his fists.
Ms Dowey could feel blood dripping down her face, and she cried out in pain, asking the defendant why he was attacking her. Lewis responded: “It’s my job.”
The defendant then grabbed Ms Dowey by the hair and dragged her upstairs before kicking her to the ribs and face with his heavy boots, on which her blood was later found. She told him to leave, but he told her he was “not going anywhere”.
By this time, the victim was crying hysterically and struggling to breathe. Lewis then threw her over his shoulder and she landed on the floor.
When the defendant went to the toilet, Ms Dowey called the police. She was too scared to speak on the call but officers attended within minutes as a result.
In footage played to the court, an officer was visibly shocked as he approached the victim as she lay in bed, her face bloody and swollen. She was shaking and barely able to speak, but she indicated that Lewis was responsible for her injuries.
Officers spoke to the defendant, who was sitting calmly in the living room, and placed him under arrest. Ms Dowey was taken to hospital where she was treated for injuries including a wound to her forehead, significant bruises, and a cut to her upper lip. Ms Lewis said “she believed he was going to kill her”.
Lewis, of Elizabeth Street, Thomastown, Tonyrefail, initially claimed he was not responsible for the injuries, and had come to Ms Dowey’s aid after she was attacked by men who held a grudge against her.
He later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The court heard he had 74 convictions and a long history of violent offending.
Ms Dowey’s daughter Chelsea read a statement to the court, in which she said: “What has happened to my mother has turned my world upside down. I am trying to process and grieve the loss of my mother, who I was very close to. She was a wonderful mum and nan to my son.
“She will never get the chance to meet her granddaughter due to what happened... I’ve started to have night terrors and wake up at night screaming for my mum. I am not sleeping well and have been diagnosed with PTSD.”
In mitigation, defence barrister Gareth Williams said his client was “missing” Ms Dowey, who he described as a friend and had been kind to him. He said the defendant regretted what had happened and wished to apologise to the court.
Sentencing, Judge Lucy Crowther described the footage of police discovering Ms Dowey as “deeply shocking”.
She added: “This offending has added to the distress Ms Dowey’s family feel. I don’t accept you’re remorseful even though you may be feeling sorry for yourself. You have longstanding issues with aggression with an extensive history of assaults.”
Lewis was sentenced to six years and three months’ imprisonment, with an extended licence period of four years. He will serve two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he will be eligible for release.