Trainer Receives Three-Year Prison Sentence for Assaulting Dog Walker

Evan Williams, a 55-year-old 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, in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales, where Williams repeatedly struck the victim, Martin Dandridge, with a hockey stick, resulting in a fractured arm and other injuries. Despite denying the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, Williams 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 made a choice to confront the victim instead of waiting for police to arrive. The judge acknowledged Williams' passion for protecting his champion racehorses and family but emphasized that this protection should not come at the expense of others. Williams, a multiple Grade One-winning trainer, had previously experienced a threatening incident with poachers on his land but was reminded that taking the law into his own hands is never acceptable. The sentence serves as a lesson to Williams that it is always better to rely on law enforcement when a crime is suspected.