SWANSEA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDER BENJAMIN BEVAN SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS AND NINE MONTHS
A man punched and throttled his partner and stamped on her head after flying into a rage when she woke him up from an alcohol- and Valium-induced stupor, a court has heard.Benjamin Bevan then turned on a neighbour of his victim, assaulting him with a pressure washer and sinking his teeth into his arm, leaving the man needing blood tests for possible infections.
Bevan has a lengthy criminal history, including 91 previous offences mainly for dishonesty but also including violence such as unlawful wounding, racially-aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm, and administering a poison or noxious substance after throwing a bucket of excrement and urine into a prison officer's face.
He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for these offences.
The court detailed that Bevan's recent actions on April 28 in Swansea involved a series of violent acts.
He was at his partner's house and, after consuming alcohol and Valium, fell asleep.
When her calls to wake him were unsuccessful, she went upstairs to check on him, but Bevan, angry at being woken, followed her, grabbed her around the throat, and squeezed tightly, leading her to fear for her life.
Subsequently, he picked up a knife, punched her in the face, and attempted to force a cloth into her mouth during a struggle which resulted in her falling to the ground with Bevan stamping on her head multiple times.
After the attack, she fled into the street and stopped a neighbour, requesting police assistance.
While calling the police, Bevan turned his aggression onto the neighbour, attacking him with a pressure washer and biting his arm.
Bevan then used the pressure washer to damage the neighbour's car, causing almost £3,000 worth of damage.
This incident was witnessed by the neighbour's nine-year-old son.
Both victims sought medical treatment, with the partner suffering from cuts, bruising, swelling, and a broken lip, and the neighbour receiving treatment for cuts, bruises, a bite, and tests for hepatitis B and tetanus.
Bevan was arrested on the same day and found in possession of pregabalin tablets.
During the sentencing, it was revealed Bevan had previously witnessed domestic abuse as a child, struggled with substance misuse, and had spent much of his adult life in prison.
His defense argued he desires to change his chaotic lifestyle, but the judge highlighted the need for him to do significant work to break his cycle of reoffending.
Bevan received a sentence of 2 years and 5 months for the assault on his partner and 16 months for the assault on the neighbour, to be served consecutively.
Additionally, he got 6 weeks for criminal damage, and no separate penalty for possession of pregabalin was applied.
He will serve up to half his sentence in custody before release on license.
The victims, particularly his partner and the neighbour, reported severe emotional distress, with the partner fearing for her life and suffering flashbacks, while the neighbour expressed concerns over potential blood-borne infections and the impact on his family, especially his son.
