This week, Newmarket received the shocking news that one of the town’s apprentice jockeys has been charged with murder. Once a promising young rider with a potentially successful career in front of him, 25-year-old rider Levi Williams now faces the prospect of spending a significant portion of his life behind bars.
Newmarket Altercation Ends in Tragedy
The fateful incident occurred on the 8th of March, outside the popular Golden Lion pub on Newmarket High Street. Williams and an unnamed 23-year-old had spent the afternoon drinking in the nearby Waggon And Horses pub before allegedly becoming involved in a four-man altercation involving 71-year-old Richard Wingrove.
Following the incident, Wingrove and a 45-year-old man were taken by ambulance to a Cambridge hospital, with Williams initially charged with grievous bodily harm and released on bail. However, the ramifications of the event took a sad turn on Tuesday, 18th of March, with the news that Wingrove had passed away in hospital.
Following the news, Levi was rearrested and charged with murder, with a statement from Suffolk Police reading:
“A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder, after a man who sustained serious injuries following an incident in Newmarket earlier this month died in hospital.
“Levi Williams, of Holland Park, Newmarket, has subsequently been charged with murder.”
Denied Bail at Preliminary Hearing
Having appeared at Ipswich Magistrates Court on Wednesday, the 19th of March, Williams was brought before Cambridge Crown Court the following day. Appearing emotional during proceedings, Williams applied for conditional bail, which would have included a GPS tracker and curfew. However, whilst unopposed by the Crown Prosecution Service, Judge Mark Bishop denied this application.
Announcing his decision, Bishop stated:
“I am the arbiter of whether bail is granted, and the presumption is against bail in the case of murder. I am unable to reach a conclusion against that, and, therefore, bail is refused.”
Williams will remain in police custody ahead of a plea and trial preparation hearing on the 9th of May, ahead of a trial later in the year, where he will learn his fate.
The 45-year-old man, also injured in the incident, was arrested on suspicion of affray and released on bail until the 9th of June, whilst the 23-year-old remains charged with GBH and was bailed until the 5th of June.
Promising Career Blighted by Problems
This incident marks a sad end to what should have been a young man living out his dream. Williams had reportedly aspired to become a jockey since childhood and acted on his goal. Graduating from the British Racing School at 16, he spent time at the yards of Eve Johnson Houghton and John Best before relocating to Epsom and later Newmarket.
Enduring blank years in 2017 and 2018, Williams picked up his first win aboard the Simon Dow-trained Mr Scaramanga at Lingfield in January 2019. Three further winners followed in 2019, with 2020 bringing a career-best tally of five.
Rather than building on his rising profile, 2021 saw Williams have his licence suspended, having tested positive for cocaine and cannabis. Having returned to the saddle, those problems resurfaced in 2023 as the jockey tested positive for cocaine for a second time. Williams received an 18-month suspension from the disciplinary panel, which ended in November 2024 but was yet to resume riding duties before his murder charge. This is a sad chapter for all involved, with the victim and his friends and family obviously the worst affected, whatever the outcome.