Simon Brown received a 13-year prison sentence for fatally assaulting 71-year-old William Rowe after a dispute at a residence on Mercury Close. Mr. Rowe had been residing in the property while he was refurbishing it for a friend of Brown’s.
On the evening of September 3, 2023, the victim was in the living room when Simon Brown and an acquaintance came at the residence at approximately 11 PM. The group engaged in conversation when Brown and Mr. Rowe had an argument. Rather than vacating the premises, Simon Brown inflicted a sustained and brutal assault on his victim, resulting in severe facial and chest injuries.
At approximately 4:30 AM on September 4, 28-year-old Simon Brown departed the residence without contacting an ambulance. CCTV footage revealed Simon Brown returning to the premises within 24 hours on Monday evening. Instead of entering the property to assess Mr. Rowe, he retrieved his car and departed. This was subsequently discovered by authorities abandoned in Chatham.
On September 5, Kent Police responded to a complaint and discovered the victim deceased beneath a blanket in the living room, exhibiting injuries to the head and torso. Detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate initiated an inquiry, leading to the arrest of Simon Brown, a resident of Snowdon Close, Chatham, later that day.
He was recorded on body-worn camera confessing to have assaulted the victim ‘severely,’ and after an inquiry, Simon Brown was charged with murder. He refuted the accusation, and a trial occurred at Maidstone Crown Court, where a jury acquitted him.
Simon Brown acknowledged a supplementary charge of manslaughter and received his sentence on Thursday, June 13, 2024. He must serve two-thirds of the sentence prior to applying for parole. Simon Brown was additionally subjected to an extended licence period of four years.
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