A Swansea University student has been sentenced after he crept into sleeping women’s houses and committed a sex act.
Evan Powell went into the women’s homes uninvited following a society fancy dress party on 30th October 2024.
The computer science student entered the three properties hours after the party, and was also said to have attempted to enter a fourth.
In one property, Powell first entered a child’s bedroom and dug through a chest of drawers, before awakening them. The child entered the mother’s bedroom, where she woke to see the 21-year-old standing near the bed. The defendant then left the house.
About an hour later, Powell entered another property nearby via a woman’s bedroom. He then exposed himself and masturbated whilst watching the victim sleep. An altercation later occurred in the kitchen, during which the woman punched him and he pushed her. He then fled the scene.
According to the Western Mail, Swansea Crown Court heard Powell entered a third property. However, the occupant was quickly awoken by the sound of their door opening and the defendant exited the home.
Inquiries conducted by the police confirmed the Powell attempted to enter a fourth property in Swansea’s Brynmill area, but he did not get in.
The incidents were reported by to the police, and Powell was subsequently identified and arrested.
Evan Powell has denied there was any sexual element to his actions, instead claiming that he was entering the homes to look for his phone, which he had lost on a night out in Swansea’s Wind Street. However, he did accept it was a “very odd, unusual situation”.
A jury rejected that version of events and found him guilty of trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence.
In a victim impact statement, one of the women said: “It’s had a massive impact on his [her son’s] daily routine. He has had trouble sleeping for months.”
Powell pleaded not guilty to the accusations and the case went to trial at Swansea Crown Court in April of this year.
Swansea Crown Court via Google Maps
Powell had no previous convictions. However, the court heard that he sexually assaulted a young woman in the Brynmill area in October 2023. Powell had pursued a woman down Bryn Road, before grabbing her and putting his hands on her body.
The assault was reported to the police and dealt with by way of a “community resolution”, in which Powell admitted the offence and wrote a letter of apology, avoiding prosecution.
Judge Paul Thomas KC described Powell’s behaviour “extremely sinister”, claiming the defendant had been “prowling the streets of the student area looking for opportunities for non-consensual activity”.
He concluded that Powell’s motivations had been sexual and the 20-year-old has not yet acknowledged he has a problem.
Judge Thomas added that until Powell comes to terms with the reality of the situation, he would continue to pose a high risk of sexual offending.
Evan Powell has now received a nine year extended sentence comprising five years in custody followed by a four year license period. He will be eligible for parole after serving two thirds of the custodial element of the sentence. He will also be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Regarding the 2023 sexual offending, Judge Thomas added that it was a matter of “great regret” that it had not been dealt with “properly” at the time it should have been.
Following the sentencing, senior crown prosecutor with the rape and serious sexual offence team, Carolina Mayorga-Williams, said: “Waking up to find a stranger in your or your child’s bedroom must be a terrifying experience and violates a person’s right to feel safe in their own home.
“We take allegations of sexual offending very seriously.
“The evidence presented by the Crown Prosecution Service resulted in the jury reaching their guilty verdicts and has brought Powell to justice.”
South Wales Police’s Detective Inspector Stuart Prendiville also provided a statement, saying: “Evan Powell’s actions on October 31 last year left multiple people in the Brynmill area feeling unsafe inside their own homes.
“That he entered their homes with the intention of committing a sexual offence is a significant aggravating factor.
“There is no justifiable explanation for Evan’s actions, and he is now rightly embarking on a term in prison.”
Featured image via South Wales Police
