EXCLUSIVEMoment dog groomer is attacked by rival's husband at awards ceremony after beating them to top prize

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER and JO CARR 01:23 27 Mar 2026, updated 08:34 27 Mar 2026

A dog groomer was attacked by a rival's husband outside an awards ceremony after beating their business to the top prize.

CCTV footage captured the moment Adrian Bolton, 56, ran after Julian Sandy, 47, and repeatedly punched him outside of last year's Best of Welsh Business Awards.  

Mr Sandy, owner of Woofterz Dog Grooming, had beaten Mr Bolton's wife's business, Paws n Relax, and six other firms to be crowned top dog in the pet services category at the Flint Mountain Park Hotel on June 18, 2025.

While celebrating the hard-earned triumph, Mr Sandy, who runs the dog grooming company with 42-year-old partner Martin Bradley, said Mr Bolton approached him while he was alone in the courtyard and 'asked for a word'.

'I really didn't think anything of it as I hardly knew the man,' Mr Sandy said.

'Suddenly, out of nowhere, he was hitting me in the head and kicking me and twisting my thumb and not letting go.

'I was so shocked and suddenly in so much pain I didn't even manage to defend myself.

'I just couldn't believe what was happening as it came from nowhere.'    

Speaking after the hearing, Mr Sandy claims his injuries could force him to give up grooming.

He added that a snapped joint and chipped bone in his thumb left him unable to do his job for 12 weeks, sending clients to rival groomers instead and leaving him £18,000 out of pocket. 

Mr Bolton admitted to assault causing actual bodily harm and was ordered to do unpaid work at Mold Magistrates Court on February 27. 

A victim impact statement from Mr Sandy reads: 'To date, I am still suffering daily from severe pain in the thumb that was injured in the attack and I have to take pain relief on a constant basis.

'I have also been prescribed antidepressants by my doctor.

'[...] I understand the legal process should be over soon but I will still be suffering and will have to live everyday with the effects of physical pain and mental trauma for an unforeseeable amount of time.'

Mr Sandy said he escaped to the safety of his hotel room after security intervened.

However, he said being unable to work meant he ended up having to spend £6,000 earmarked for improvements to his salon on simply surviving and paying bills while he lost a further £12,000 in earnings.  

'Customers would call me for an appointment and since I only had one good hand, I would have to explain I would not be able to do it for a couple of months, due to my injury', he added.

'With the court case pending I couldn't tell them what happened to my hand and would have to listen to the odd one or two, say they would have to try Pawz n Relax instead, as it is probably the closest alternative salon to ours.'

He said he struggled to eat for weeks due to bruising caused by blows to his jaw and also suffered bruising in his kidney area.

He is also worried for his future as the break to his hand caused his bone to fuse to the tendon and could force him to give up his job.

Mr Sandy said: 'At the last appointment, the orthopaedic consultant told me I could carry on working for now but at some point, I may need surgery and to rest it and it could be that with long term prognosis it that the pain will never really go away and I will have to give up Woofterz and dog grooming, something I really love.

'I have had months of pain and loss and financial worry whilst his wife's salon has been posting on social media about their wonderful holiday in Dubai. It just feels so unfair.'

At Mold Magistrates Court, Bolton was ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work and pay Julian £2,000.