Evan Williams attacked dog walker on his land with hockey stick, court told

Cheltenham Festival-winning trainer Evan Williams used a hockey stick to attack a dog walker he mistakenly believed was a rural criminal on his land, a jury has heard.

Williams, 54, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Martin Dandridge, 72, in the rural village of Llancarfan on December 4 2024.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Mr Dandridge was staying at a holiday cottage near Evan Williams Racing – the racehorse training centre in the Vale Of Glamorgan where Williams works and lives with his family.

Mr Dandridge had taken his daughter’s cockerpoo Gulliver out for a walk on the gallops at about 9.30pm, wearing a headtorch and placing a light on the dog as it was dark.

A jury of seven women and five men heard Williams’ family spotted the lights and believed Mr Dandridge was lamping, where people use bright lights to find animals such as rabbits and foxes, often with a dog.

Williams, accompanied by jockey Conor Ring, set off in a 4×4 vehicle towards Mr Dandridge – passing two police officers who were on a rural crime patrol nearby on the way.

Prosecuting, William Bebb said: “The defendant told the police officers there were lampers in the field and they were going to challenge them.

“He thought there were rural criminals trespassing on his land. Mr Dandridge noticed vehicles arriving at the entrance of the paddock.

“Mr Dandridge saw an individual get out of one of the vehicles and approach him aggressively, practically charging towards him, shouting words to the effect of ‘who are you and what are you doing?’.

“Evan Williams was carrying with him a weapon, a hockey stick.”

Mr Bebb told the jury that Williams was “looking to impart his own justice on someone who he thought was trespassing on his land”.

“He began raining blows on Mr Dandridge,” he said. “Mr Dandridge was in complete shock.”

The barrister alleged that Williams carried out a “frenzied” attack on Mr Dandridge, causing him to fall to the floor.

He said Mr Dandridge told Williams that he was staying at the cottage next to the paddock and walking his dog but “none of this registered”.

“The defendant stated that he was trespassing on his land,” Mr Bebb added.

Williams then swung the hockey stick “with full force” in a blow which caused Mr Dandridge’s left forearm to fracture, he alleged.

Mr Ring is said to have told Williams “that’s enough”, with the two police officers then attending the scene.

The court heard one of the police officers saw Williams “strike Mr Dandridge with an object to his body, making a thudding sound”, while the other did not see any attack but noted that he was carrying a hockey stick.

Mr Bebb told the jury: “The penny dropped that he wasn’t a criminal at all but a man innocently walking his dog in the area.”

Mr Dandridge, from Swindon, Wiltshire, was taken to hospital by police and found to have a fracture to his left forearm, which was placed in a cast.

He made a formal complaint against Williams the following day and the trainer was arrested.

During police interview, Williams denied assaulting Mr Dandridge and denied having a hockey stick.

He told officers there was a drainage hole, measuring two to three feet deep, which Mr Dandridge had fallen into after being pulled by his dog on a lead.

Mr Bebb said: “He denied assaulting him in any way and stated he believed he sustained his injuries by falling into the drainage.”

Williams denies a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The trial, expected to last for four days, continues.