A civil engineering student in the UK has been spared jail after breaking into a fellow student’s room and committing a sexual act, leaving behind DNA evidence on her bed and soft toys.
Udkarsh Yadav, 18, used a faulty key card to access the young woman’s room at Trinity Square student accommodation in Gateshead while she was away for the holidays. Newcastle Crown Court heard that when she returned, she discovered her bedsheets and three Jellycat teddy bears had been defiled.
Prosecutor Jennifer Coxon told the court that Yadav was initially silent during police questioning but later admitted to the offence when confronted with the DNA results. He confessed he had been “overcome with desire” and was aware of a system glitch that allowed access to multiple rooms using the gym-issued key card.
“This was a disgusting and selfish thing to do,” said Recorder Mark McKone KC during sentencing. “You must have known the psychological impact this would have on her. She was a young woman living away from home for the first time, and the idea of someone invading her room in this way, especially while looking at photos of her on the wall, is deeply disturbing.”
Yadav, of Howard Street in Newcastle, pleaded guilty to burglary with intent to cause criminal damage. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work, attend rehabilitation sessions, and pay £117 in compensation for the damage caused to the teddy bears and bed coverings.
His defence lawyer, Shada Mellor, said Yadav moved to the UK to study civil engineering with hopes of following in his father’s footsteps, a construction business owner in India. She stressed that Yadav had completed his first year of university and planned to pursue a master’s degree, describing his actions as “completely out of character.”
Following the incident, Yadav was removed from university housing and told to find alternative accommodation. His future at the university remains uncertain, with administrators expected to make a decision based on the outcome of the sentencing. If his student visa is revoked, he may be forced to leave the UK.