Trainer Evan Williams Sentenced to Three Years for Assaulting Dog Walker

Evan Williams, a renowned horse trainer, has been sentenced to three years in prison for attacking a 72-year-old dog walker who was on his property. The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, at Williams' land in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales, where the victim, Martin Dandridge, suffered a fractured arm and other injuries after being repeatedly struck with a hockey stick. Williams, 55, denied the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was found guilty by a unanimous jury after a trial at Cardiff Crown Court. During sentencing, Recorder Angharad Price condemned Williams' actions, stating that he had a choice to either confront the victim himself or wait for the police to arrive. The judge highlighted an earlier incident where Williams had encountered poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun, but emphasized that taking the law into one's own hands is never acceptable. Williams, a multiple Grade One-winning trainer, has had notable success at the Cheltenham Festival. His wife, Cath, has taken over the licence after Williams was found guilty, and one of their horses, Ask Brewster, recently won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.