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 assault occurred on December 4, 2024, and left Mr Dandridge with serious injuries, including a fractured arm. Williams, who denied the charges, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent 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 prior incident where Williams had encountered poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun, but emphasized that this did not justify taking the law into his own hands. Williams, a multiple Grade One-winning trainer, has had success at the Cheltenham Festival, but his conviction has now led to a significant prison sentence. His wife, Cath, has taken over his licence, and one of their horses, Ask Brewster, recently won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.