Holidaying grandfather was brutally attacked as he took his pet canine for a night stroll exterior his cottage.
Richard Williams arriving at Cardiff Crown Courtroom (Picture: PA)
A champion horse coach has been jailed for 3 years for attacking a holidaying pensioner who was strolling a canine on his land. Richard Evan Rhys Williams, often known as Evan Williams, 55, who has educated Grand Nationwide horses, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, with a hockey stick in the course of the assault. Mr Dandridge, from Swindon, Wiltshire, suffered accidents together with a fractured arm within the assault on Williams’ land at Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, south Wales, on the night of December 4 2024.
The defendant denied a cost of inflicting grievous bodily hurt with intent, however was convicted by a unanimous jury after 90 minutes of deliberations following a trial at Cardiff Crown Courtroom in March. And right this moment Recorder Angharad Worth sentenced Williams to a few years in jail. She instructed Williams: “That is an appalling offence the place you attacked Mr Dandridge inflicting him critical accidents. “I do know that you simply absolutely perceive that he’s nonetheless dwelling with the impression of your actions on that day 16 months in the past.”
Williams at Chepstow Racecourse. (Picture: PA)
The decide instructed Williams that he had a “alternative” on that day – to confront Mr Dandridge himself or anticipate close by police to attend.
She stated: “If you gave proof at trial, you talked very passionately of your champion racehorses and their safety, you talked of defending them from hurt.
“You additionally talked about defending your loved ones from hurt. Nevertheless, that safety mustn’t have come at Mr Dandridge’s price.”
The decide described an incident that had taken place six weeks earlier than the assault, by which Williams disturbed poachers on his land and was threatened with a shotgun.
“The sooner incident you skilled with threats of violence to you and your house should have been very scary,” the decide added.
Jailed Richard Williams (Picture: PA)
“It’s by no means acceptable to take the regulation into your personal arms. This sentence shall be a lesson to you that it’s at all times higher to name the police when you suppose against the law is being dedicated.”
Throughout the trial, jurors heard how Mr Dandridge and his spouse had been staying at a vacation cottage close to Williams’ coaching centre to be near their daughter in Cardiff who had not too long ago given beginning to their grandchild.
Mr Dandridge took their cockerpoo Gulliver for a stroll in a paddock that was a part of the stables, putting torches on himself and the canine because it was darkish.
Williams’ household noticed the lights on their land and believed Mr Dandridge was lamping, the place folks use shiny lights to search out animals such a rabbits and foxes, typically with a canine.
Jurors heard there had beforehand been incidents of fly-grazing – the place animals are left on land with out permission – in addition to hare coursing and poaching.
Six weeks earlier than the assault on Mr Dandridge, Williams had confronted trespassers who threatened to shoot him and burn down his farm.
A pre-sentence report on Williams discovered his offending was “pushed by heightened worry, hyper vigilance and a distorted risk notion” following that incident, the decide stated.
David Elias KC, representing Williams, instructed the courtroom that his consumer’s response was “in opposition to the background of that terrifying earlier incident”.
Mr Elias stated he had been supplied with an “unprecedented quantity” of character references in assist of Williams, with 500 of those acquired by his workplace and others despatched on to the decide.
These included statements from Williams’ spouse Cath, who took over the licence at his yard. Mr Elias stated the enterprise was more likely to fail with out Williams on the helm.
He stated: “Evan Williams has labored all his life, he has constructed a enterprise from scratch which has grow to be crucial to the broader neighborhood within the Vale of Glamorgan.
A muddy jockey Isabel Williams heads again in with coach Williams (Picture: PA)
“He’s a person who goes out of his manner to assist folks and is way liked by his employees, suppliers and the locals in his neighborhood.
“If that enterprise have been to fail there can be a a lot wider knock-on impact not solely to employment in that space however to many different companies in that space.”
Throughout the trial, Williams insisted he didn’t injure Mr Dandridge and claimed he was damage after being pulled over on tough terrain by his canine and falling right into a drainage gap.
In a sufferer private assertion learn to the courtroom on Tuesday, Mr Dandridge described the lasting impression of the assault.
He stated he had beforehand been a “wholesome particular person” who loved hobbies equivalent to golf, DIY and steel detecting.
“Sadly, due to the assault and what has adopted, I don’t really feel like the identical particular person I used to be earlier than,” he stated.
Mr Dandridge instructed the courtroom he had lasting issues together with his left arm and hand, with on a regular basis duties equivalent to opening jars and utilizing instruments leaving him in ache.
He additionally described an impression on his psychological well being, affected by nervousness, disturbed sleep and intrusive ideas for the reason that assault.
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“There has not been a single day for the reason that assault that I’ve not thought of it,” he added.
“What occurred that day and its penalties have had a profound impression on my life.”
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