A prominent horse trainer, renowned for his success in the competitive arena, is facing allegations of assaulting a dog walker with a hockey stick on his property. The trainer, Richard Williams, commonly referred to as Evan, counters these claims, suggesting the man simply tripped over his unruly cockapoo.

The incident, which allegedly occurred during the night of December 4, 2024, involved 72-year-old Martin Dandridge, who claims he was repeatedly struck by Williams with a hockey stick. This altercation reportedly took place on Williams’s land in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales.

Mr. Dandridge, a resident of Swindon, sustained several injuries in the encounter, including a fractured arm. The case, currently being heard at Cardiff Crown Court, involves accusations that the 54-year-old Grand National trainer intended to inflict serious harm on Dandridge. At the time, Dandridge was staying in a holiday cottage near Williams’s horse training grounds.

Testimonies in court revealed that Mr. Dandridge was walking his daughter’s cockapoo, Gulliver, in a paddock associated with Williams’s stables. Due to the late hour, he was using a flashlight to guide his way.

Williams’s family, upon noticing the flashlight, suspected that Dandridge might be engaged in ‘lamping’—a nocturnal hunting practice where lights are used to spot animals such as rabbits and foxes, often accompanied by a dog. This misunderstanding seems to have sparked the subsequent confrontation.

Williams’s family, who spotted the lights, believed Mr Dandridge was lamping – where people hunt at night using lamps, especially for rabbits and foxes, and often with a dog. 

Prosecutor William Bebb said the lights ‘drew the attention’ of Williams, who drove to the scene and got out of the vehicle ‘carrying a weapon which was a hockey stick.’

Williams, a leading figure in Welsh racing, asked Mr Dandridge: ‘What are you doing in my field with a lamp and a dog?’ 

Grand National horse trainer Evan Williams (pictured) is alleged to have repeatedly struck a man, leaving him with multiple injuries

Cardiff Crown Court heard that Williams (pictured) intended to cause severe harm to the man, who was renting a holiday cottage close to his horse training facility

Mr Dandridge was then struck several times on his leg, chest, arm and face, the jury was told. 

Father-of-three Williams maintained that he did not injure Mr Dandridge, but said he was hurt after his ‘out-of-control’ dog pulled him over rough terrain, causing him to fall into a drainage hole. 

Speaking in court, Williams said: ‘I am not exaggerating that terrain. It is only a hazard if you are not aware of the gallops and what they’re used for.

‘Those gallops are only dangerous if you should not be there.

‘Then they are treacherous, and unfortunately we found that they can be treacherous if you’re the wrong person, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing the wrong type of thing.’

Williams also denied weilding a hockey stick and instead said he had a lead rein, which he used to assist with the dog.

He said: ‘It was the dog who is not in control, as Mr Dandridge has stated. His evidence was it was the dog taking Mr Dandridge for a walk.

‘If we hadn’t acted in the way we had, Mr Dandridge could have been on his own, hit his head, and we could be looking at serious, serious, serious death.

Williams (pictured) has denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent

‘If you hit your head in those situations, I would say, that I actually stopped potentially more damage happening.

‘I would disagree with what you say that I was responsible.’

Mr Dandridge denied a suggestion by Williams’ defence lawyer that he broke his arm falling into a ditch. 

He was taken to Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, where an X-ray showed he had fractured two bones in his arm. 

Williams was arrested and interviewed by police the following day, but denied assaulting Mr Dandridge. 

Mr Bebb said Williams’s account of the out-of-control dog was ‘nonsense.’ 

The defendant answered: ‘Walking a dog on a highway, or on a footpath, or in a park, as long as they are properly secured, with a properly trained person.

‘But a dog walking its owner, in an environment it has never been in before, doing what it wants to do, revved up, is a severe hazard with countryside animals.’

Responding, Mr Bebb said: ‘You were filled with rage due to the nature of the background you had with lampers.

‘I suggest that you began to swing down with that hockey stick with some force.

‘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.

‘You swung that hockey stick with such force it connected with his arm and that blow broke his arm.’

Williams replied: ‘No. I disagree.’

Mr Bebb added: ‘Such was the single-mindedness of you, not waiting for the police, passing onto the gallops, you didn’t even register what this person was saying as you approached or as you attacked.

‘He was telling you, ‘Stop, stop, stop’, and that he was walking his dog. You were shouting and swearing at him and telling him he was trespassing.’

Williams replied: ‘I suggest that he didn’t get those injuries from a hockey stick. I didn’t have a hockey stick. I did not cause any injuries to this man.

‘There was no strike from me.’

Mr Bebb said: ‘You thought you could talk your way out of this situation, didn’t you? You thought on your land, it was your law, didn’t you?’

He responded: ‘No sir.’

Williams denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Dandridge.

The trial was adjourned until Monday.