Dog walker beaten by horse trainer Evan Williams says his jail is term too soft

Martin Dandridge, aged 72, was assaulted with a hockey stick by Richard Evan Rhys Williams, a 54-year-old Grand National trainer, while walking his dog on Williams’s property in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan. The attack, which took place during the night in December 2024, left Dandridge with a broken arm and continuing pain in his left forearm. Although Williams was sentenced to three years in prison last Tuesday, Dandridge has expressed that the punishment feels “unduly lenient” and has initiated a formal challenge through official legal channels.

During the incident, Dandridge was struck multiple times, and the severity of the assault deeply affected him both physically and mentally. In a victim impact statement, he revealed the terror he experienced, saying, “I thought I was going to die,” and that the memory of feeling “completely helpless and defenceless” continues to haunt him. Even years after the assault, Dandridge reports ongoing difficulties with his left forearm and hand, which have resulted in lasting changes to his sense of self, explaining, “I don’t feel like the same person I was before.”

The attack was legally classified as grievous bodily harm with intent, and Williams was found guilty by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court. During sentencing, Recorder Angharad Price condemned the attack as an “appalling offence,” emphasizing that Williams had deliberately chosen to take matters into his own hands instead of waiting for law enforcement. The judge stated, “It is never acceptable to take the law into your own hands,” highlighting the serious nature of the crime and Williams’s decision to act violently.

Despite the three-year prison sentence handed down to Williams, Dandridge has submitted a request for review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which allows Crown Court sentences to be reconsidered if believed to be too light given the facts. The Attorney General’s Office, responsible for reviewing such cases, has not yet made a decision on whether to refer Williams’s sentence to the Court of Appeal. This process must be concluded within 28 days of the sentencing

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