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

Horse trainer Evan Williams, 55, has received a three-year prison sentence for a brutal assault on a 72-year-old dog walker, Martin Dandridge, who was walking on Williams' land in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales. The incident, which occurred on December 4, 2024, left Mr Dandridge with serious injuries, including a fractured arm, after Williams repeatedly struck him with a hockey stick. Despite denying the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, Williams was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict following 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 highlighted an earlier 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 notable success at the Cheltenham Festival, including a recent win with Ask Brewster, which was running under the name of his wife, Cath, who had taken over the licence after Williams' guilty verdict.