Evan Williams, a 55-year-old horse trainer, has been sentenced to three years in prison for attacking a 72-year-old dog walker who had wandered onto his property in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan. The victim, Martin Dandridge, suffered serious injuries, including a fractured arm, after being struck repeatedly with a hockey stick during the incident on December 4, 2024.
Despite denying the charges, Williams was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent by a unanimous jury verdict following 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 highlighted an earlier incident where Williams had been threatened by poachers on his land, but emphasized that this did not justify taking the law into his own hands. Williams, a successful trainer with multiple Grade One wins, including at the Cheltenham Festival, will now serve a three-year prison sentence. His wife, Cath, has taken over his training license in the meantime, and recently celebrated a win at the Cheltenham Festival with Ask Brewster in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase.