Darts champion jailed for sexually assaulting teenager
A DARTS world champion pinned down a teenage girl in an “opportunist” sex attack that was caught on camera, a court heard yesterday as he was jailed for two years.
Ted Hankey, 54, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court, where he earlier admitted sexual assault.
Hankey had shown an “arrogant entitlement” when he attacked his victim in Crewe, Cheshire on Sept 10 last year, the court was told.
The two-time world champion, known as “The Count”, had “flatly denied” any wrongdoing and “expressed amazement” at the allegation when he was arrested.
But he refused to answer questions when detectives told him the attack had been caught on camera, the court heard. As well as being jailed for two years, the father of three, from Stokeon-trent, was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Judge Steven Everett told him: “You genuinely believed nobody would believe her, until you were shown the damning evidence.
“The nature of what you did, the fact that you pinned her down, that air of entitlement … You treated her as an object for your own disgusting and deviant sexual desires. Your self-pity about the loss of status and ability to earn money – I’m sure you will never play darts again on television.”
His wife is now divorcing him and his children do not want any contact either.
Earlier, Simon Parry, prosecuting, said of Hankey’s arrest: “He flatly denied any wrongdoing, expressing amazement he had been arrested and did not know why she was saying.”
In a victim-impact statement read to the court, the girl said she suffers continuing distress, panic attacks and heart palpitations. She added: “I believe I have developed PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This crime has had a major impact on my mental health.”
Mark Connor, defending, said the assault was “opportunist”, that Hankey wanted to apologise for his behaviour.
Judge Everett replied: “He would have denied it to the bitter end had it not been filmed.”