Champion horse trainer jailed for attacking dog walker with a hockey stick
A champion horse trainer has been sentenced to three years in prison for attacking a person walking his dog on his property with a hockey stick.
Richard Evan Rhys Williams, 55, known as Evan Williams, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, during the attack.
Mr Dandridge, of Swindon, Wiltshire, suffered serious injuries, including a fractured arm, during the incident on December 4, 2024, at Williams’ property in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales.
Williams had denied the charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent but was unanimously convicted by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court in March after 90 minutes of deliberation. On Tuesday, Recorder Angharad Price handed down the three-year sentence.
Addressing Williams, Recorder Price said: “This is a horrific crime in which you attacked Mr Dandridge and seriously injured him. I know you fully understand that he still lives with the impact of your actions on that day 16 months ago.”
The judge emphasized that Williams had a “choice” that day: confront Mr Dandridge himself or wait for nearby police to arrive. He accepted Williams’ passionate testimony during the hearing regarding the safety of his champion racehorses and his family.
“When you testified in court, you talked very passionately about your champion racehorses and their safety, you talked about protecting them from harm,” he said. “You also talked about protecting your family from harm. However, that protection should not have come at the expense of Mr. Dandridge.”
Recorder Price also referred to an incident six weeks before the attack in which Williams harassed poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun.
While admitting this, he stated emphatically: “The experience you experienced earlier of threats of violence against you and your home must have been very frightening. Taking the law into your own hands is never acceptable.”
“This sentence will serve as a lesson to you that it is always better to call the police if you think a crime has been committed.”
