Police praise courage and strength of woman attacked by a stranger in her own home

Police have praised the courage and strength of a woman who was attacked by a stranger in her own home as the "violent and dangerous" offender was jailed for 20 years.

A court heard how Benjamin Guiver, 35, entered the property in the Goodwick area of Pembrokeshire on the evening of May 24 this year. He savagely attacked the woman by punching her, banging her head against a radiator, sexually assaulting her, strangling her and telling her that he was going to kill her.

He had already entered other properties that evening. His victim was asleep on the sofa inside her house and awoke to find Guiver kneeling by her side. She asked the intruder who he was and he replied “I’m Benjamin”.

The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, suffered significant physical injuries during the attack, and is now trying to live with the ongoing emotional and psychological impact of the incident. You can read about the sentencing here.

After his sentencing at Swansea Crown Court, Dyfed-Powys Police officers also paid testament to a family member who arrived home during the attack and sustained injuries when they bravely intervened.

Swansea Crown Court heard that officers were called to an address in Goodwick at just before 10.30pm on May 24, 2024. The caller, a relative of the victim, described her as being covered in blood, and said the suspect was trying to escape from the house. Officers attended immediately and found the victim inside the house with visible injuries to her face. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here

Detective chief inspector Matthew Briggs said: “She was clearly badly injured, and was incredibly distressed, but at that point we weren’t aware of the extent of the ordeal she had been put through.Our focus was on prioritising her care with the help of paramedics, and getting officers out on the street to find the suspect.

“Shortly after officers arrived at scene, a man by the name of Benjamin Guiver was arrested not far from the house.”

The victim revealed in interview that she didn’t think she would survive the assault, but that two family members returned home and disturbed the attacker.

She explained that she had fallen asleep while watching TV, and woke to find a man in her living room. He said his name was Benjamin and that he had come "to rescue her". When the victim asked who he was, he replied ‘don’t ask any questions or I’ll kill you’.

The victim manged to escape the address and run out onto the drive, shouting for help. She was followed by the suspect, who assaulted her outside and threated to kill her before continuing the sustained attack inside the address.

The victim lost several teeth and sustained significant bruising to her body. It was later established by police that the 34-year-old, of Fishguard, had attempted to enter another house in close proximity to the victim’s home a short while earlier.

Following substantial enquiries by the police, Benjamin Guiver was charged with sexual assault by penetration, section 18 GBH with intent, intentional strangulation, trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, threats to kill, assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Due to the weight of evidence against him, he pleaded guilty to all six charges when he appeared at court on July 10 and was sentenced on Thursday, October 31.

In a statement written by the victim, she described herself as “a shell of her former self” following the incident, constantly feeling “lost, unsafe and on edge”.

She wrote: “I feel as though my life has been turned upside down. I no longer feel safe in my own home which is a feeling I have never experienced before. I’ve always been confident and independent, however, that has now been viciously ripped away from me.

“I want so desperately to go back to some kind of normality with my life, however, I know that what has happened is going to continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Following sentencing, DCI Briggs 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.”