Sarah Evans (Image: Gwent Police)
Last Updated: November 18, 2025
A Caerphilly woman has been jailed for six years and nine months after stabbing her neighbour in the neck during a burglary on December 27, 2024.
Sarah Evans, 48, of Pritchard Terrace, Phillipstown, was discovered by the victim alongside a man ransacking the kitchen of the victim’s Caerphilly home. The victim’s mother, who was staying over the festive season, had heard a noise and alerted her daughter.
When the victim confronted Evans and struck her with a metal pole, Evans grabbed a knife from the kitchen, forced the victim to the ground and stabbed her in the neck. She also threatened to stab her again.
The victim’s young daughter then came downstairs and the woman barricaded them both inside a different room while Evans and her accomplice continued to steal Christmas presents, cash and medication.
Before leaving, Evans made further threats against the family, warning them what would happen if they alerted police.
The victim suffered a 1.5cm stab wound to her neck and spent three days in hospital as a result of the attack.
Having pleaded guilty to charges of wounding and burglary, Evans appeared at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday, November 17, to be sentenced.
Tom Roberts, prosecuting, read a victim impact statement to the court which said: “I thought I was going to die. It was like something out of a horror film.” The victim added that her mental health had deteriorated since the incident, and that she now struggled to trust people as she once did.
In mitigation, barrister Jeffery Jones said: “This is not a lady who had significant treatment for this injury and there is no ongoing treatment, medically.”
He added: “This defendant has clearly learnt her lesson and is contrite. She was intoxicated. She had a drug problem and medication was taken in the course of the burglary. The defendant is not a dangerous person. The remorse with her is real and tangible. She has taken steps within the prison environment to change her drug dependency.”
Addressing Evans in court, Judge Paul Hobson said: “The impact of what you did plainly goes beyond physical injury. The victim is left with a scar on her neck which is a visible reminder of what happened. She describes what happened as a violation of her home, even before you took the knife and stabbed her in the neck. The attack could easily have been fatal.”
Judge Hobson listed aggravating factors including the fact that the stabbing happened during the course of a dwelling burglary, that the blow was struck to the neck, that the impact was considerable, and that there was a child present.
Evans was sentenced to 81 months (six years and nine months) in prison. She was told she was likely to serve two thirds of that sentence in custody and the remainder on licence.
