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

Evan Williams, a renowned horse trainer, has been sentenced to three years in prison for a violent assault on a dog walker who had entered his property. The incident occurred on December 4, 2024, in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales, where Williams repeatedly struck 72-year-old Martin Dandridge with a hockey stick, resulting in serious injuries, including a fractured arm. Despite denying the charges, Williams was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent 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 the police to arrive. The judge highlighted an earlier incident where Williams had been threatened with a shotgun by poachers on his land, 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. His wife, Cath, has since taken over the licence, and one of their horses, Ask Brewster, recently won the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.