Kane Evans jailed for stabbing Morgan Hopkins 10 times in unprovoked Swansea attack

Kane Evans, of Gorseinon, Swansea, was sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison for stabbing Morgan Hopkins 10 times in an unprovoked attack outside the New Lodge social club in Gorseinon in the early hours of June 22, 2025. The court heard Evans, who was 20 at the time, had previously been involved in an altercation with people in a car outside the club and then turned his attention to Morgan when the group tried to calm the dispute. Morgan, an 18-year-old with rugby ambitions, attempted to intervene to de-escalate the situation, but Evans opened with a kitchen knife, slashing him multiple times.

Morgan ran into the social club seeking help as patrons and staff looked on. CCTV was shown to the court, recording him fleeing and then asking for assistance. Doctors found a severed bowel and sepsis after the attack, and part of Morgan’s bowel later had to be removed. The knife also damaged nerves in his arm and tore through tendons in his triceps and bicep, with doctors describing it as a sustained, life-changing injury. He underwent 10 hours of surgery the following day and spent weeks in hospital recovering. The family described how Morgan’s world, once dominated by rugby, was abruptly upended, and how the road to recovery would be long and uncertain.

In sentencing, Judge Paul Thomas KC condemned the assault as murderous, ferocious and persistent, noting the sustained violence and its lasting impact on the victim. The court heard that Evans’ conduct escalated from an earlier confrontation to the knife attack, which Morgan tried to avert by appealing for restraint.

Victoria Hopkins, Morgan’s mother, recalled how the incident arrived as a horror story that upended family life. She had just spent the day in hospital with her father when she received a phone call telling her Morgan had been stabbed and was in the same ward she had just left. She described Morgan’s reaction when she first saw him, saying he kept repeating that he hadn’t done anything wrong and asking why someone would target him for no reason. The family said they are grateful for post-attack recovery and for a Christmas they can celebrate rather than mourn.

Six months on, Victoria said Morgan, who had hoped to become a professional rugby player, has learned to adapt. He has not been able to play but has taken up coaching, an outcome his mother said makes her proud. She added that the episode has been traumatic for the entire family and that she understands the pain his attacker’s relatives must also endure.

Kane Evans, from Gorseinon, Swansea, was sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison, with five years on licence after release. Nia Sturgess of the Crown Prosecution Service described the case as a sustained and brutal attack that caused terrible injuries. “Knife violence can have fatal consequences, and thankfully that was not the outcome here. We hope Mr Hopkins makes a full recovery,” Sturgess said.

The case has drawn attention to knife crime in the region, and Morgan’s family say they hope his recovery continues and that the experience does not erode his ambition or spirit.