Coach Evan Williams may very well be jailed after he was convicted of assaulting a canine walker who was on his land late at night time.
Williams, 54, repeatedly struck Martin Dandridge, 72, with a hockey stick throughout a night-time assault.
Mr Dandridge, from Swindon, Wiltshire, suffered accidents together with a fractured arm within the incident on Williams’ land at Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, on December 4 2024.
A jury at Cardiff Crown Court docket took simply 90 minutes to search out Williams – who is because of have runners on the Cheltenham Pageant this week – responsible of inflicting grievous bodily hurt with intent.
David Elias KC, defending, requested for the sentencing listening to to be adjourned for stories and to provide Williams time to place in place various preparations for his racing enterprise ought to he be jailed.
“In the circumstances of this case, bearing in mind he is 54 and of hitherto good character, we would invite the court to adjourn for a pre-sentence report so that this court knows everything it needs to about Mr Williams,” Mr Elias mentioned.
“As I have indicated, Mr Williams knows that he is at serious risk of losing his liberty and that he asks for bail to be extended.
“He has a situation to not contact immediately or not directly the complainant within the case, and there have been no difficulties with that hitherto.
“He has his business and he will need to consider how that will be looked after, bearing in mind the risk of him losing his liberty.
“He would really like a while previous to sentence, which he would have if the courtroom orders a pre-sentence report, to place issues in place in case it’s that he loses his liberty.
“Indeed, he has very pressing commitments in the racing world this week, which he would like to fulfil if that is possible.”
Recorder Angharad Value continued Williams’ conditional bail and mentioned he can be sentenced on April 14 after the preparation of stories.
“We will adjourn until April 14 and until then your bail will be enlarged on the same terms,” she mentioned.
“In that time you will be contacted by probation so they can prepare a report, and it is very important you co-operate with them.”
The courtroom heard Mr Dandridge was staying at a vacation cottage close to to Williams’ racehorse coaching centre.
Mr Dandridge took his cockerpoo Gulliver for a stroll in a paddock that was a part of the stables, and since it was darkish was utilizing a torch.
There had been incidents of fly-grazing on Williams’ property previously – the place animals are left on land with out permission – in addition to hare coursing and poaching, the courtroom heard.
His household noticed the lights on their land and believed Mr Dandridge was lamping, when individuals use shiny lights to search out animals comparable to rabbits and foxes, usually with a canine.
Williams instructed the courtroom he didn’t injure Mr Dandridge and maintained he was damage after being pulled over on the tough terrain by his out-of-control canine and had fallen right into a drainage gap.
“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,” the father-of-three mentioned.
William Bebb, prosecuting, requested the defendant if he was the hero, and he replied: “I’m no hero.
“I am solely saying that Mr Dandridge’s unlucky lack of management of his canine brought about his harm.”
Mr Bebb suggested Williams’ account of an out-of-control dog was “nonsense”.
“You have been full of rage as a result of nature of the background you had with lampers,” he said.
“Whether or not a damaged bone or a wound, you wished to show these lampers a lesson. I recommend you struck him repeatedly, swearing and shouting as you probably did.”
