'Dangerous' man entered woman's home at random and brutally attacked her

A “violent and dangerous man” has been jailed after he entered a woman's home at random and attacked her.

Benjamin Guiver, 35, entered the property in a Pembrokeshire town on May 24 this year after already entering other properties the same evening, and found his victim asleep on the sofa.

She awoke to find Guiver kneeling by her side, asking the intruder who he was, to which he replied "I’m Benjamin".

The victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - ran from the property with no shoes on her feet, only for Guiver to follow her. He caught up with her, grabbed her by the hair, punched her and hit her face on the ground. He then dragged her back inside the house by her hair.

He went on to punch her, bang her head against a radiator, sexually assault her, and strangle her.

Guiver, of Heol Glyndwr in Fishguard, told his victim: "I’m going to kill you. Stop screaming or I’m going to kill you."

He then told her to draw the curtains so that nobody could see him, repeated his threats about killing her and also said he was going to rape her "because it’s people like you who ruin the universe".

Swansea Crown Court heard that police officers were called to the address just before 10.30pm on 24 May after a relative of the victim, who had arrived at the property, raised the alarm.

The relative chased Guiver out of the house but ended up being assaulted himself as Guiver punched and choked him.

Police located Guiver nearby. He initially gave a false name and indicated that they should have been looking for someone else, but he was arrested at the scene and further police enquiries revealed that he had entered other properties in the area earlier that evening, before his brutal attack which left the woman with bruising all over her body, dislodged teeth and in need of morphine for pain relief.

Guiver was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, assault by penetration and intentional strangulation with regards to the female victim, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and intentional strangulation in relation to the male victim.

He pleaded guilty to all offences at an earlier hearing and appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Thursday, 31 October, to be sentenced.

Prosecution barrister Robin Rouch read a personal impact statement from the female victim, in which she said: "What occurred in my house has ruined my life. I feel constantly lost, unsafe and on edge.

"I genuinely thought I was going to die. There was a point where the defendant had his hands around my neck and I could see the end of my life. I have never experienced something so terrifying."

Mr Rouch also told the court that Guiver had previous convictions including one for actual bodily harm in 2022 relating to an assault against a former partner.

A toxicology report carried out following his arrest in May revealed alcohol, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis in his system.

Guiver represented himself in court and said he had "no memory of that night" and that he was "devastated" by what had happened, adding: "I know sorry will not make up for my actions that night."

Addressing Guiver in court, His Honour Judge Geraint Walters called him a "violent and dangerous offender" and said: "The only mitigation in this case is your guilty plea. There does appear to be, in the cold light of day, some remorse but that will provide little comfort to your victims, particularly the female victim."

Guiver was handed an extended sentence of 20 years, comprised of 15 years in custody and an extended licence period of five years. He was also made the subject of an indefinite restraining order prohibiting him from making any contact with the female victim.

Following the sentencing, Jessie Walling of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said: "The physical and sexual violence inflicted on this woman by a complete stranger in her own home was horrific. The strong evidence presented by the CPS resulted in guilty pleas to very serious offences. Both victims have displayed enormous bravery, and we hope they will take some comfort from seeing this offender brought to justice for his appalling offences."

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Briggs, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: "The victim in this case has shown immense courage throughout the investigation, and I commend her for that. Suffering such an attack in your own home is unimaginable, and – as she detailed in her statement – has impacted every aspect of her life. Despite this, she has demonstrated her strength of character every step of the way and worked alongside officers to ensure justice prevailed. I would also like to highlight the actions of her relative who intervened during the assault, putting their own safety at risk to ensure further harm was not caused."

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