Richard Evan Rhys Williams, known as Evan Williams, was convicted by a unanimous jury after 90 minutes of deliberations following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court in March. Recorder Angharad Price sentenced Williams to three years in prison, stating it was an appalling offence where he attacked Mr Dandridge causing serious injuries. The judge told Williams he had a choice to confront Mr Dandridge himself or wait for nearby police to attend.
Martin Dandridge and his wife were staying at a holiday cottage near Williams' training centre to be close to their daughter in Cardiff who had recently given birth to their grandchild. According to Dandridge, he and his wife had been staying at the Gallops holiday cottage for three weeks before the attack, which happened three days before his 71st birthday.
Williams beat a pensioner with a hockey stick because he wrongly believed he was a poacher on his land, according to court proceedings. The prosecution argued Williams intended to cause severe harm to Dandridge, who was renting a holiday cottage near Williams' horse training facility. According to the BBC, Evan Williams described thinking 'They are lamping in my field and we're going to challenge them' when he saw lights on his property.
By mutual agreement, Evan Williams has ceased being a licensed trainer, with Cath Williams becoming the licence holder responsible for the yard's horses and staff.
According to the prosecution, Dandridge was walking his daughter's dog at around 9:30pm with a head torch and the dog also had a light attached to its collar. Their lights drew the attention of Williams as they walked near the paddock and gallops of Evan Williams Racing. Dandridge saw a man get out of a vehicle carrying a weapon which was a hockey stick, according to the prosecution's account.
Williams rained down blows from the hockey stick on Dandridge, hitting him several times including on the chest, leg, arm and face, according to the prosecution. Dandridge was trying to explain he was staying in a holiday cottage, but this did not register with Williams. According to the BBC, Evan Williams described asking 'What are you doing in my field with a lamp and a dog?' during the confrontation.
Martin Dandridge suffered injuries including a fractured arm in the attack on Williams' land at Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales, on the evening of December 4, 2024. Dandridge was taken to Princess of Wales Hospital, where an X-ray revealed two fractured bones in his arm, according to court records.
He denied a suggestion by Williams' defence lawyer that he broke his arm falling into a ditch.
After being arrested and interviewed by police the next day, Williams denied assaulting Dandridge with a hockey stick, according to his defense statements. Williams said the injuries Dandridge sustained were caused when his dog pulled him into a drainage ditch, with a drop of 3ft (1m). Williams denied having a hockey stick and said he was carrying a rope, which he used to guide horses and was planning on using on the dog if it was loose.
The judge described an incident six weeks before the assault where Williams disturbed poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun. There had previously been incidents of fly-grazing, hare coursing, and poaching on the land, according to multiple reports. Williams' family spotted lights on their land and believed Mr Dandridge was lamping, where people use bright lights to find animals.
Two policemen were nearby monitoring rural crime such as lamping and poaching that night, according to the prosecution. The police followed Williams, according to prosecution accounts, though the specific reasons for their presence that evening remain unclear.
They are lamping in my field and we're going to challenge them.
Connor Ring, a jockey and Williams' daughter's partner, was also present and tried to move Williams away, according to court proceedings. Ring's intervention occurred during the violent encounter as Williams continued his assault on the pensioner.
Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Evan Williams has ceased being a licensed trainer following his conviction for assaulting a dog walker. Williams' wife Cath will be the official trainer, taking over as the licence holder responsible for the yard's horses and staff. A BHA spokesperson stated that by mutual agreement, Evan Williams has ceased being a licensed trainer, with Cath Williams becoming the licence holder responsible for the yard's horses and staff.
Sentencing was adjourned until April 14 for reports and to give Williams time to put in place alternative arrangements for his racing business should he be jailed. This adjournment created confusion about when the sentence was actually imposed, with some reports suggesting immediate sentencing while court records show the April date.
What are you doing in my field with a lamp and a dog?
Evan Williams is not disqualified and is permitted to be at the yard, according to multiple reports. This arrangement allows him to maintain some involvement with his racing business despite his conviction and prison sentence.
The prosecution told jurors this was a deliberate attack with a hockey stick, according to court proceedings. This characterization formed the basis of the assault charges that led to Williams' conviction.
Several questions remain unanswered about this case, including what specific evidence led the jury to convict Williams in just 90 minutes of deliberations. The impact of Williams' conviction and imprisonment on his racing business and future career also remains uncertain, particularly given his status as a Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer. Additionally, the exact circumstances of the poaching incident six weeks prior where Williams was threatened with a shotgun have not been fully detailed in public records.
Further unknowns include how the British Horseracing Authority and Williams reached their mutual agreement for him to cease being a licensed trainer, beyond the basic arrangement described in official statements. According to the BBC, Martin Dandridge described denying a suggestion by Williams' defence lawyer that he broke his arm falling into a ditch, highlighting the ongoing dispute about how the injuries occurred. Defence barrister David Elias KC noted during proceedings that Williams is 54 and of hitherto good character, though some reports list Williams as 55, creating minor inconsistency in biographical details. Elias also stated that Williams has pressing commitments in the racing world this week, which he would like to fulfil if possible, explaining the request for sentencing adjournment.