Victim labels Grand National trainer's assault sentence 'unduly lenient'

A man severely beaten with a hockey stick by a prominent Grand National trainer has decried the assailant's prison sentence as 'unduly lenient', initiating a formal challenge via the Attorney General's office.

Martin Dandridge, 72, suffered a broken arm and 'ongoing pain' after being repeatedly struck by Richard Evan Rhys Williams, 54, known as Evan Williams, in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan. The night-time assault, which occurred in December 2024, saw Dandridge believing he was 'going to die', a memory he states remains 'vivid'.

Williams was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on Tuesday after a Cardiff Crown Court jury found him guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. However, Dandridge, from Swindon, expressed profound dissatisfaction, citing the use of a weapon and the severe injuries as aggravating features overlooked in the sentencing.

Recorder Angharad Price, in her sentencing remarks, condemned the 'appalling offence', noting Williams's decision to 'urgently race to the paddock to deal with it himself' instead of awaiting police intervention. 'It is never acceptable to take the law into your own hands,' Price stated.

Dandridge has formally requested a review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which permits the Attorney General's office to refer Crown Court sentences deemed excessively low to the Court of Appeal. Law officers have a 28-day window to assess the merits of such a request, with a decision on Williams's case pending.

The assault has had a lasting physical and mental toll on Dandridge, who reports still struggling with his left forearm and hand, and 'the memory of feeling completely helpless and defenceless'.