Teen rugby player stabbed by stranger outside social club

A MAN repeatedly plunged a kitchen knife into a stranger outside a social club in an attempt to kill him, a court has heard.

- JASON EVANS

Kane Evans stabbed Morgan Hopkins, 18, a total of 10 times to the chest, abdomen and arm, with the wound to the stomach penetrating so deeply it severed his intestines.

Mr Hopkins needed a 10-and-a-half hour operation to remove part of his bowel and he has been unable to play rugby since.

In a statement read to Swansea Crown Court, he said he had been unable to play rugby since the unprovoked attack, and he feels "lost" without the sport.

Craig Jones, prosecuting, told the court that Mr Hopkins spent the evening of June 21 at the New Lodge social club in Gorseinon with his partner. Also at the club was the then 20-year-old Evans, though the men were unknown to each other.

The court heard that during the evening, Evans became involved in an altercation with men in a car parked outside.

Mr Hopkins, who was outside with his partner vaping, intervened and the incident came to an end. Both men separately returned to the club.

The court heard the attack happened at 1.10am the following morning when Mr Hopkins and his partner were sitting outside the club waiting for a lift home.

The prosecutor said Evans walked up to the couple, lifted his top to reveal a kitchen knife in his waistband and said "look at this knife, mush".

Evans then produced the knife and Mr Hopkins tried to defuse the situation, but the court heard Evans launched a "frenzied" attack on his victim, repeatedly stabbing the rugby player's left arm, chest and abdomen.