Sexual Assault: Former World darts Champion Hankey jailed

 

Former world darts champion Ted Hankey has been jailed for two years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

Hankey, 54, pinned the young woman down and, with an “air of entitlement,” sexually assaulted his victim, Chester Crown Court heard.

The attack happened in Crewe, Cheshire, on September 10 last year, and the prosecution’s lawyer, Jonathan Wilkinson, told the court the victim was under 18.

Jailing him, Chester Registrar Judge Steven Everett said Hankey would have “denied it to the last” had the attack not been caught on film.

The footage was shown to the judge after the courtroom had been emptied of the public and press.

The victim, who is between the ages of 16 and 18, reported the incident to police on Thursday, September 16, and Hankey was arrested the same day.

During questioning, he denied committing the crime, and subsequently replied “no comment” after being shown the video.

However, appearing in Warrington Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 14 April, he pleaded guilty to sexual assault.

The darts player, whose nickname is El Conde, was the BDO world champion in 2000 and 2009.

In sentencing, Judge Everett told him: ‘You really thought no one would believe you, 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 of your own disgusting and deviant sexual desires.

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“Your self-pity for losing status and ability to earn money, I’m sure you’ll never play darts on TV again.”

District Judge Nicholas Sanders said the case would be sent to Chester Crown Court, where Hankey will be sentenced on May 12.