Cheltenham Festival-Winning Trainer Faces Court Over Alleged Hockey Stick Attack
A champion horse trainer from the Cheltenham Festival has been accused of launching a violent assault on a dog walker, mistakenly believing the man was a rural criminal trespassing on his property. The incident, which left the victim with a broken arm, unfolded in the quiet village of Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Details of the Alleged Assault Emerge in Court
Cardiff Crown Court heard that Richard Evan Rhys Williams, known professionally as Evan Williams, allegedly attacked 72-year-old Martin Dandridge with a hockey stick on December 4, 2024. Williams, a 54-year-old trainer with successes at the prestigious Cheltenham Festival, has pleaded not guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The prosecution outlined that Mr Dandridge was staying at a holiday cottage near Evan Williams Racing, the trainer's operational base where he lives and works with his family. On the evening in question, Mr Dandridge took his daughter's cockerpoo, Gulliver, for a walk on the gallops around 9:30 PM. Due to the darkness, he wore a headtorch and attached a light to the dog.
Mistaken Identity Leads to Confrontation
Williams' family reportedly spotted the lights and misinterpreted them as evidence of "lamping," a practice where bright lights are used to locate animals like rabbits or foxes, often accompanied by dogs. Believing rural criminals were on his land, Williams, accompanied by jockey Conor Ring, drove a 4x4 vehicle toward Mr Dandridge. On route, they passed two police officers conducting a rural crime patrol nearby.
Prosecutor William Bebb told the jury that Williams informed the officers he was going to challenge what he thought were trespassers. "He thought there were rural criminals trespassing on his land," Mr Bebb stated. As vehicles arrived at the paddock entrance, Mr Dandridge noticed an individual aggressively approaching him, "practically charging towards him, shouting words to the effect of 'who are you and what are you doing?'"
Alleged Frenzied Attack with Hockey Stick
The court heard that Williams was carrying a hockey stick, which he allegedly used to rain blows on Mr Dandridge. "He began raining blows on Mr Dandridge," Mr Bebb described, adding that the victim was "in complete shock." Despite Mr Dandridge explaining he was a guest at the nearby cottage and merely walking his dog, the prosecution claims Williams ignored these pleas, insisting he was trespassing.
In a critical moment, Williams is accused of swinging the hockey stick "with full force," resulting in a fracture to Mr Dandridge's left forearm. Mr Ring reportedly intervened, telling Williams "that's enough," before the two police officers arrived at the scene. One officer witnessed Williams strike Mr Dandridge with an object, hearing a thudding sound, while the other noted Williams was carrying a hockey stick but did not see the attack.
Aftermath and Defence Claims
Mr Dandridge, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was taken to hospital by police, where his fractured forearm was placed in a cast. He filed a formal complaint the following day, leading to Williams' arrest. During police interviews, Williams denied assaulting Mr Dandridge and claimed he did not have a hockey stick. Instead, he suggested Mr Dandridge fell into a two-to-three-foot-deep drainage hole after being pulled by his dog on a lead, attributing the injuries to this accident.
Williams faces a primary charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm. The trial, expected to last four days, continues as the jury deliberates on the conflicting accounts of the evening's events.
