Adam Ezalden – Swansea

A married man from Sudan “enjoyed” raping and beating up a sex worker in a dark and isolated lane

Amazon warehouse worker Adam Ezalden, 30, threw the woman around and punched her to the ground before raping her, ignoring his victim’s screams and calls to stop what he was doing.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, told the court the attack took place in 2024 in Swansea city centre after the defendant approached a sex worker in High Street.

He said Ezalden and the woman agreed payment and they went to a nearby lane where they had sexual intercourse.

The court heard that during the intercourse the woman asked Ezalden to stop as it was “uncomfortable” but the defendant responded by launching a physical assault on his victim, throwing the woman around and repeatedly punching her before raping her.

The woman eventually managed to free herself and fled the scene.

The matter was reported to police and the defendant was identified and arrested. He denied the allegations but was subsequently convicted by a jury.

The court heard the woman suffered “significant facial and bodily injuries” in the attack.

In an impact statement which was read to the court by the prosecution barrister, the woman said the incident had caused a “profound and lasting impact” on her life and that the trauma had resulted in “significant emotional and psychological effects”.

She said she no longer felt safe in the places where she used to feel comfortable, and had become withdrawn and experienced a loss of trust in people.

Adam Ezalden, of Tontine Street, Swansea city centre, had previously been convicted at trial of rape and assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has no previous convictions.

The prosecution barrister told the court that the defendant had limited leave to remain in the UK until 2027.

Judge Catherine Richards said that on the night in question Ezalden had approached a sex worker on Swansea’s High Street and, after payment was agreed upon, they had gone to an “isolated, dark, back lane” nearby where they engaged in sexual intercourse.

The judge said that when the complainant asked the defendant to stop what he was doing because it was “uncomfortable”, Ezalden had responded with violence – throwing the woman around and punching her to the floor before getting on top of her and continuing the assault and then raping her.

Judge Richards said the defendant ignored the woman’s screams and calls to stop, and said he “appeared to be enjoying the experience”.

She said the woman was vulnerable by virtue of her line of work, and said the fact she had been the victim of violence by others in the past increased her vulnerability but did not decrease the impact of the defendant’s actions.

Ezalden was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison. He will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. He will be a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.

The judge said any possible deportation was a matter for the authorities and not the court.