Evan Williams seen hitting dog walker ‘with force’, jury told
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Wed 4 Mar 2026
Trainer Evan Williams allegedly attacked a dog walker “with force” after wrongly believing he was a rural criminal, a court heard on Wednesday.
The Vale of Glamorgan handler denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Martin Dandridge, 72, in the rural village of Llancarfan in South Wales on December 4 2024.
He is alleged to have used a hockey stick to hit Mr Dandridge, from Swindon, Wiltshire, causing injuries including a fractured left forearm.
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.
He took his cockerpoo dog, Gulliver, out for a walk in a paddock that was part of the stables at about 9.30pm – with both Mr Dandridge and Gulliver wearing lights as it was dark.
The jury heard Williams’ family spotted the lights on their land 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 in the area, on the way.
Inspector Gareth Childs, of South Wales Police, told the court Williams told them: “There are lampers in the field, they’re there now, we’re going over to the field.”
After turning the police vehicle round, Insp Childs and colleague Pc Stuart Elson drove to a paddock where Williams had parked his vehicle.
“I saw the defendant had hold of the person with a head torch,” Insp Childs said.
“The immediate perception we had was that rural crime was taking place. These things can be violent, my immediate thought was to try to protect everybody’s safety and get to the presumed offender.
“There was a struggle taking place between the person with the head torch and Mr Williams. I saw Mr Williams take one step back and then an object was used to strike him (Mr Dandridge) to the torso area.
“I couldn’t see what the object was. I saw him take a step back, his arm come back, and then with force then the object was swung towards the torso area.”
Insp Childs said he then took hold of Mr Dandridge and took him to the ground to “control him” as rural crime is often carried out by gang members.
The officer described Mr Dandridge as compliant and said it became apparent he was not committing rural crime, with his dog a cockerpoo which is not a typical breed used by criminals.
“Mr Williams was very emotional and animated,” he told the court.
“I recall him saying the words ‘you’ve got a lamp and you’re on my land’.”
Insp Childs described Mr Dandridge as “in shock”, with the officers walking him to the holiday cottage nearby where he was staying before taking him to hospital for treatment.
In cross examination, David Elias KC suggested that Williams had not struck Mr Dandridge and Insp Childs may have seen him reaching forward to take the dog lead.
“I clearly saw him step back and he used something in his arm and there was a strike,” Insp Childs said.
“It wasn’t a dog lead or anything like that. I saw some object that was used to strike him.”
Pc Elson described how he had met Williams on previous occasions and was aware his property had been targeted previously.
He said Williams had told them “there’s lampers on my gallop, they are there now” as he passed them in his vehicle.
The police officer told the jury of seven women and five men that he had seen Williams with a hockey stick-type object.
“It was upside down, with the hook over the top,” Pc Elson said.
The jury was shown an image of Williams holding a leather lead rein, with Mr Elias asking Pc Elson if that could have been the object he saw.
A clip of Williams’ arrest at his home on December 6 2024 was played to the court.
He was heard to tell officers: “No, I had a lead rope, there was no hockey stick. The world has gone mad.”
On Tuesday, Mr Dandridge told the jury he had been staying in the holiday cottage with his wife to be close to their daughter in Cardiff who had recently had a baby.
He described how Williams had “violently” struck him with a hockey stick, and he feared he would die in the incident.
An X-ray later confirmed he had sustained two fractures to his left forearm, Mr Dandridge said.
During police interview, Williams insisted he did not assault Mr Dandridge and did not have a hockey stick.
He suggested Mr Dandridge had been pulled by a drainage hole by his dog, which caused his injuries.
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.
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