Bert and Patti Newton’s troubled son Matthew is secretly engaged to the 23-year-old daughter of New York’s chief lawmaker – a tireless campaigner against domestic violence.
New Idea can exclusively reveal that 39-year-old Matthew – who has a well-documented history of drug abuse and violence against women – popped the question to girlfriend Catherine Schneiderman last month, giving her a large diamond ring.

In recent weeks, the gorgeous brunette has been parading her new sparkler through the streets of New York, near where she and Matthew live in a $1.6 million luxury apartment in Manhattan’s exclusive Upper West Side.
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