Trainer Evan Williams Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Assaulting Dog Walker

Evan Williams, a 55-year-old horse trainer, has been sentenced to three years in prison for a brutal attack on a 72-year-old dog walker, Martin Dandridge, who was walking on Williams' land in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, and left Mr Dandridge with serious injuries, including a fractured arm. Williams, who denied the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, was found guilty by a unanimous jury after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in March. During the sentencing, Recorder Angharad Price condemned Williams' actions, stating that he had made a choice to confront Mr Dandridge instead of waiting for the police to arrive. The judge also referenced a previous incident where Williams had encountered poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun, but emphasized that this did not justify his actions. Williams, a multiple Grade One-winning trainer, has had success at the Cheltenham Festival, but his career has now been put on hold due to his imprisonment. His wife, Cath, has taken over the licence and recently won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at Cheltenham with a horse named Ask Brewster.