A POWYS man has been sent to prison for more than three months after he breached a previous suspended sentence that was handed down to him.

Wayne David Evans, 46, was given a custodial warning in May last year when he received a suspended sentence for multiple offences against his female victim Tracey Williams.

On January 25, 2021, Evans, of Pelican Street, Ystradgynlais, assaulted Ms Williams, caused criminal damage at her property and stole an amount of cash from her. He was also found to be in breach of a restraining order made in April 2016 banning him from contacting her. The offences took place in Lower Cwmtwrch, near Ystradgynlais.

Evans was described as having a “total disregard” for court orders when he appeared at West Glamorgan Magistrates' Court in Swansea on Monday, July 4 – where he was jailed for 15 weeks.

Between January 21 and April 5, 2021, Evans sought out Ms Williams and contacted her, which he was prohibited from doing by the restraining order, which was imposed at Brecon and Radnorshire Magistrates Court.

The court activated the suspended sentence, which had originally been put in place for two years, ordering Evans to serve 10 weeks custody. Magistrates said they were activating the sentence due to Evans’ “non-compliance with probation and second breach of the order, as well as his total disregard to court orders”.

For assaulting Ms Williams on January 25, 2021, magistrates ordered him to serve another five weeks consecutively.

For the criminal damage and theft charges – Evans damaged two picture frames and a dish washer belonging to Ms Williams and stole £123.60 from her – he was handed another 10 weeks, but these are due to be served concurrently.

In addition, Evans admitted breaching the community requirements associated with his suspended sentence order; he failed to attend an unpaid work appointment last November and missed a planned phone contact the same month, and had failed to provide acceptable evidence why.

Magistrates ordered no separate penalty for the breach.