Community
Print
Evan Williams, a Welsh Grand National-winning horse trainer, has been jailed for grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
Williams, 55, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, with a hockey stick in December, 2024. Dandridge was walking his dog on Williams’s land in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, at the time. He was left with a broken arm and “ongoing pain.”
A unanimous jury convicted Williams after 90 minutes of deliberations at Cardiff Crown Court last month. He was sentenced to three years in prison, and recorder Angharad Price described the incident as “an appalling offence.”
In a victim impact statement, Dandridge said he thought he was “going to die,” and added, “that moment is still vivid in my mind.” As reported by the BBC, Dandridge said that the assault has had a lasting negative physical and mental impact.
“Sadly, because of the assault and what has followed, I don’t feel like the same person I was before,” Dandridge said. He has reported continuing issues with his injured arm.
‘You were filled with rage’
As reported by WalesOnline, Dandridge had been staying at a holiday cottage near Williams’ racehorse training centre at the time of the attack. When he took his dog for a nighttime walk, he entered a paddock that was part of Williams’s stables. Williams reportedly saw Dandridge’s torchlight and assumed he was “lamping,” which is illegal without the property owner’s permission. He claimed he did not hurt Dandridge and alleged that Dandridge’s injuries were caused by his own out-of-control dog.
William Bebb, prosecuting, called Williams’s account “nonsense.” He added, “You were filled with rage due to the nature of the background you had with lampers. Whether a broken bone or a wound, you wanted to teach those lampers a lesson. I suggest you struck him repeatedly, swearing and shouting as you did.”
Williams is best known for training Secret Reprieve, the winner of the 2020 Welsh Grand National at Chepstow. Williams has trained more than 650 racehorses. He placed in the Grand National for five consecutive years from 2009 to 2013 with State of Play (who finished fourth in 2011) and Cappa Bleu (who finished second in 2013).
Read more: Why Isn’t Horse Riding Vegan? Everything You Need To Know
‘Events like this will result in death’
Deaths during training are likely underreported, but since January, there have been at least 48 horse racing deaths in the UK, including both animals who experienced a fatal fall and injured animals who were then “destroyed.” Some horses were euthanized due to “lost action,” which means they no longer had a smooth stride.
Four horses died at the Cheltenham Festival in March, prompting a cautionary statement from the RSPCA. “One death is too many,” said the charity. Earlier this month, two horses were killed at the 2026 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse.
Isobel McNally, Animal Aid’s campaign manager on horse racing, said, “Every year we are amongst multiple groups who warn that events like this will result in death, and every year jockeys, trainers, and owners choose their own profits over horses’ lives.
She added that the deaths likely “hurt” and were “entirely predictable and preventable, yet multiple people chose to let this happen when they chose to run this race. It’s time to take horses’ lives seriously and end horse racing.”
Please note: PBN runs a sponsored content model. To explore how you can get featured, please email [email protected] or visit everkinddigital.com
