A former jockey has been jailed for three years for the manslaughter of a 71-year-old pensioner who died after being punched outside a pub in Newmarket. Levi Williams, 27, was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting the manslaughter of Richard Wingrove, who sustained a skull fracture and fatal brain injury when he fell and struck his head on the pavement.
Judge Sean Enright told Williams he “could have just trotted away” from the confrontation, which unfolded on Newmarket High Street on the afternoon of Saturday, March 8, 2025. The judge acknowledged that Williams was not the initial aggressor but said the final, fatal blow could not be justified as self-defence.
The Fatal Altercation
Richard Wingrove and his son Jamie Wingrove had been drinking in pubs in Newmarket before being separately ejected from the Waggon and Horses after what the court heard was “disorderly and abusive behaviour towards staff”. Williams and his friend, also a jockey, were present in the pub during the Wingroves’ altercations with staff, and CCTV footage showed the two jockeys attempting to block Jamie Wingrove from re-entering the pub after a physical confrontation with the publican.
After Williams and his friend later left the pub, a verbal exchange broke out with the Wingroves. Prosecutor Jane Oldfield told the court that Williams was seen throwing a punch at Jamie Wingrove, then at Richard Wingrove. The older man fell but got back up and “rejoined the fray”. The altercation continued, and Williams then “suddenly punched Richard Wingrove to the head causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement” for a second, fatal time.
Mr Wingrove, who walked with a stick and had poor eyesight, was celebrating his birthday on the day of the incident. He was taken to hospital with a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain, placed in an induced coma, and died ten days later on March 18, 2025.
Judge’s Reasoning and Sentencing
In passing sentence, Judge Enright said Williams was “not the aggressor at the start” and that the initial blows “could be classed as self-defence”. However, he added: “The last punch can’t be so justified. You were in drink, you had taken cocaine, you hit a vulnerable man to the head.” The judge noted that under UK law, reasonable force for self-defence must be proportionate to the threat, and continuing to use force after a threat has ended can be considered excessive. While there is no legal duty to retreat in England and Wales, a failure to do so can be considered when assessing whether the force used was necessary.
Williams, who tested positive for cocaine upon his arrest, had initially been arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm and later rearrested and charged with murder. He eventually pleaded guilty to manslaughter. When arrested, he was described as drunk and shaken, telling officers “it was an accident”. In interview he claimed he had consumed two to three pints of beer and felt threatened, with punches being thrown “both ways”.
Background of the Convicted Jockey
Williams, now of Trefonen, Oswestry, Shropshire, rode his last winner in February 2023. He had previously been handed an 18-month suspension after testing positive for cocaine for a second time, and was scheduled to have his first ride back in the week of March 10, 2025 — two days after the fatal incident. His career statistics show 12 wins from an unstated number of runs. Mitigating, William England told the court that Williams had “never been involved in any violence of any sort in the past”.
Impact on the Victim’s Family
In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Wingrove’s daughter, Louisa Reah, highlighted her father’s “poor eyesight and relied on a walking stick”. She added that her younger daughter was pregnant at the time, and the child “would have been my father’s first great grandchild”. There was sobbing in the public gallery as Williams was led to the cells.
Speaking outside court, Detective Constable Hannah Barrett of Suffolk Police described Richard Wingrove’s death as a “completely avoidable act of violence” that occurred while he was celebrating his birthday, causing “devastation for so many people”. She also referenced the prevalence of similar cases involving alcohol and drugs.
The Waggon and Horses pub, where the events began, had a previous history of disorder: in March 2020 police arrested a man after a large bar brawl at the premises, which started as a verbal disagreement outside and escalated into violent disorder inside, leaving a 20-year-old with a broken tooth and facial cuts.
