Jockey who killed pensioner, 71, after punching and shoving him to ground in brawl outside Newmarket pub is jailed for three years

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:13, 4 June 2026 | Updated: 12:28, 4 June 2026 A jockey who had taken cocaine and had been drinking before killing a 'vulnerable' pensioner in a brawl outside a pub has been jailed for three years today.   Levi Williams, 26, hit pensioner Richard Wingrove at least twice in a fight outside of a pub in Newmarket, Suffolk - the historic home of horse racing.  The 71-year-old was left in critical condition after being rushed to hospital following the attack, but died ten days later on March 8, 2025.  The 25-year-old has now been sentenced to three years behind bars after pleading guilty to manslaughter at Peterborough Crown Court in April. Williams has previously been charged with murder; however, the prosecution accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter, and he was bailed ahead of his sentencing. A fight involving four men broke out outside the Waggon & Horses pub on March 8 at about 3.40pm, the court was previously told.  Williams got involved in a bust-up with Richard Wingrove, 71, who had been repeatedly ejected from the Waggon & Horses pub in Newmarket, Suffolk, with his son. Peterborough Crown Court heard how Williams acted in self-defence when he first hit and knocked Mr Wingrove to the pavement as the grandfather had been aggressive towards him. Pictured: Levi Williams, 26, who was charged with the murder of Richard Wingrove, 71, after the pensioner died ten days after the altercation in Newmarket Williams has been jailed to three years behind bars after pleading guilty ot manslaughter at Peterborough Crown Court Mr Wingrove who had been celebrating his birthday got up again 'to rejoin the affray' as Williams and his jockey friend Matthew Wilson continued to exchange blows with his son Jamie, said prosecutor Jane Oldfield The pensioner was watching the continuing struggle between Mr Wilson and his son when Williams punched him again in the head without warning on the afternoon of March 8 last year. Mr Wingrove who was wearing a cowboy hat hit his head as he landed in the road where he lay motionless, said Ms Oldfield. Williams and Mr Wilson tried to get into a car driven by one of their friends who happened to be passing, but members of the public restrained them until police arrived. The court heard how Mr Wingrove and his son kept returning to the pub after being told to leave by the landlord because they were drunk. Williams tested positive for cocaine after his arrest and admitted having drunk two or three pints of Stella Artois in the Waggon and Horses before the incident. He told officers that he had become aware of two men being drunk and remonstrating with the landlord. Williams said he had and his friend had left to go home at the same time as Mr Wingrove and his son who approached them aggressively in the street. He said: 'Punches were thrown both ways. Any injuries caused were unintentional.' Mr Wingrove died from head injuries ten days later on March 18 in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, after his life support was turned off. The court heard how he had been given CPR by paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital with a fractured skull, along with blood clots and contusions to his brain. Ms Oldfield said it was probable that his severe injuries were caused by blunt force trauma as a result of the punch or hitting the pavement 'or a combination of both'. Williams who formerly lived in Newmarket was originally charged with murder which he denied, but the charge was dropped after prosecutors accepted his guilty plea for manslaughter. The court heard how he had spent 167 days in custody after the incident before being bailed to live with his mother and stepfather in Oswestry, Shropshire Judge Sean Enright said he the aggravating features in the case were that Mr Wingrove was 'a vulnerable victim' and Williams had been drinking and taking cocaine. He accepted that Williams had shown remorse and gave him full credit for his early guilty plea, but jailed him for three years, saying: 'This is a case where only custody can be justified. 'You were in drink and had taken cocaine, and hit a vulnerable man in the head which caused his death.' Judge Enright said: 'This man was killed by a punch in a fracas in the street. He was 71 and you were 25. He walked with a stick and had poor eyesight.' The judge told Williams that he accepted Mr Wingrove had been abusive and disorderly in the pub. But he added: 'You were not aggressive at the start. There was provocation and what you did was on the spur of the moment. The judge said that the 'initial blow' by Williams could be said to be self defence, but not the later punch. He said: 'You and your friend could have just trotted away and left these two men at the scene.' Williams' girlfriend who was in the public gallery with his family members wept loudly as sentence was passed. William England, defending, had asked for Williams to be given a lesser sentence due to the 'truly exceptional circumstances' of the case. He said that Williams had shown real remorse and thought about his actions every day, and the pain he had inflicted on Mr Wingrove's family Mr England added: 'He will have to live with the consequences of what happened for the rest of his life.' He said that a probation officer who had spoken to Williams blamed his actions on an impulsive act, substance misuse and poor decision making. Mr England quoted the probation officer as saying: 'He is clearly very affected by the enormity of his actions and spoke with empathy towards his victim's family.' This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.