Cynon Valley

Cheating husband left his lover with brain damage after brutal attack

- PHILIP DEWEY Reporter philip.dewey@walesonlin­e.co.uk

A CHEATING husband left his lover for dead after striking her to the head with an object after she threatened to tell his wife about their affair.

The woman was found a day later covered in blood and had to have part of her skull removed.

Kelvin Evans, 37, attacked Kimberly Evans at her Tonyrefail home on September 3 last year, leaving her with catastroph­ic brain injuries.

As a result of the assault, Ms Evans spent two months in hospital and is now no longer to live independen­tly due to her injuries.

The defendant later handed himself into police after his wife told him Ms Evans had been found seriously injured in her home.

He told officers at the police station: “I had an affair and I am not sure if she’s still alive.”

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court last Friday heard Evans and the victim, who was friends with the defendant’s wife, had been having an affair for two months but matters came to ahead when she threatened to expose their relationsh­ip.

Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “I am satisfied [Ms Evans] developed strong feelings for you and was looking for a future with you, but you had no intention of leaving your wife and family to be with Ms Evans.

“If you were not prepared to leave your wife, she was prepared to end the relationsh­ip but you wanted to have your cake and eat it.

“You wanted the benefit of a wife and home but wanted to continue your sexual relationsh­ip with Ms Evans.

“You realised you couldn’t have both and that caused you to launch your short but brutal attack on her.”

On September 3 Evans spent the day carrying out family errands and running his children around before meeting Ms Evans at her home.

The victim had been out with a friend at Thomastown Social Club and had left her handbag with her.

The friend later went to Ms Evans’ home but the lights were off. Assuming she had gone to bed, the friend gave the bag to the defendant’s wife to give to her.

Judge Clarke said Ms Evans was critically injured by that time, having been struck with an object to the left side of the head by Evans after an argument in which she was said to have insulted his family and threatened to tell them about their affair.

When concerned family and friends visited the house the next day, they found Ms Evans slumped on the sofa, barely conscious, covered in blood, with very serious head and facial injuries.

She was taken to hospital where she received treatment for a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain as well as cuts and bruises.

Due to her suffering brain swelling, she underwent a craniotomy which saw part of her skull removed. She is now awaiting reconstruc­tive neuro surgery.

Evans continued with his routine and was described by his wife as “acting normal”.

When she called him to notify him about Ms Evans’ condition, the defendant said: “Things like this make me realise how much I love you.”

But at 2.30pm that day, he attended Pontypridd police station and handed himself in.

He told officers “I hit her a few times to the face area” and “I picked something up on the table and left her sat up”.

He also said: “I was having an affair with my wife’s friend, we were together for two months but yesterday we had a big argument. I just picked something up and hit her loads of times.”

When asked what he hit Ms Evans with, he claimed he couldn’t remember and had “blanked out”.

Evans, of Tynybryn, Tonyrefail, later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

The court heard he was of previous good character before the attack.

In a victim personal statement, Ms Evans said: “This has totally changed my life, I have no memory of what happened... For me, life is not the same and I don’t think it ever will be. I used to be a strong independen­t woman living on my own with my children and working, but this has been turned upside down.

“Physically I am very weak and simple everyday tasks are difficult for me to carry out. I am unable to drive and I rely on friends and family to help out.

“I am left with a life-changing injury and had to have a craniotomy, I now have to wear a helmet and had a tooth embedded in my cheek. I’ve lost my sense of taste and smell.”

Ms Evans also told the court that she had lost some of her sight and hearing as a result of the attack and also suffered from anxiety and a loss of concentrat­ion.

She added: “I am extremely worried about the future and don’t know if I will ever be able to cope on my own like before, I am nervous I will never have full independen­ce again.

“I just want to be the old Kim but I cannot see how I will ever be again.”

In mitigation, Alexander Greenwood for Evans said his client was a “hardworkin­g and dedicated family man” who had become a grandfathe­r since his remand in prison.

The barrister added: “He has to live with the tragic consequenc­es of his conduct in September, as does Ms Evans.”

Evans was sentenced to seven years and two months’ imprisonme­nt, of which he will serve twothirds before being released on licence.

He was also made the subject of a restrainin­g order indefinite­ly.

 ?? ?? Kelvin Evans has been jailed
Kelvin Evans has been jailed
 ?? ?? Newport Crown Court
Newport Crown Court

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