MAN REPEATEDLY TERRORISES WOMEN
A man who repeatedly violated a restraining order by contacting his former partner has been arrested for again breaching the order and became verbally abusive toward police officers during his arrest.Police responded to 65-year-old Michael Evans' residence following reports that he had broken the restraining order that prohibited him from contacting his ex-partner.
Evans has a long history of similar violations over the years.
At Swansea Crown Court, a judge sentenced Evans to prison after confirming that he had intentionally visited his ex-partner's home in clear violation of the court order.
The judge highlighted Evans' pattern of depicting himself as the victim.
Prosecutor Caitlyn Jones stated that on March 5, Evans approached the complainant’s Swansea home and asked to see her, despite the restraining order issued in July of the previous year.
When informed that he was forbidden from visiting, Evans was told that the police would be called.
He responded arrogantly, claiming, "Police have got nothing on me." The complainant initially agreed to walk with Evans in an attempt to speak with him, but after about 90 minutes of waiting, her housemate became worried and alerted police.
Officers arrived to find Evans at his residence, where he was verbally aggressive and confrontational.
However, they discovered the complainant was not there.
Subsequently, police learned she had left with Evans in a taxi before returning home, and she indicated she did not wish to see him.
Police then returned to Evans’ house, where he greeted them with shouting and swearing, calling officers "paedophiles" and accusing them of working for Jeffrey Epstein.
Evans was arrested on the spot.
During his interview, he mostly refused to answer and said, “no comment,” but mentioned occasionally meeting his ex-partner at Swansea Market.
Previously, Evans, formerly residing on Port Tennant Road and now on Tower Gardens in Swansea, pleaded guilty to breaching a restraining order.
In June of the previous year, he was convicted of stalking his ex-partner, which involved intimidation and fear of violence, and was given a suspended sentence along with a restraining order.
Evans’ criminal record includes 36 convictions covering 67 offences, among them 23 violations of restraining orders and harassment.
He has served custodial sentences for breaching orders during 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2023, relating to different victims.
His 2021 offences involved persistent visits and harassment at a Gorseinon residence, leading the woman to move out for safety and Evans being jailed for 30 months.
Following his release in December 2022, Evans bombarded his former victim with abusive messages threatening her life and expressing that if he couldn't have her, no one else should.
He later blamed her, claiming she was ‘winding him up,’ and in September 2023, was sentenced to 18 months for this conduct.
Representing Evans, Giles Hayes mentioned that his client had made progress on the suspended sentence but decided to go out drinking after the alcohol monitoring period ended, rather than staying sober.
Hayes acknowledged Evans’ reluctance to admit fault but noted that at 65 years old, he should have known better.
Judge Paul Thomas KC said Evans had gone to his ex-partner's house in a flagrant breach of the restraining order, and he noted that the defendant had a tendency to portray himself as the victim.
Evans was sentenced to one month in prison for the breach of the restraining order, and the judge activated six months of the previously-imposed suspended sentence to run consecutively making an overall sentence of seven months in prison.
The defendant will serve 40% of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.
