[B]5ft 3ins blonde martial arts instructor knocks out Coldstream Guard
A 5ft 3ins blonde martial arts instructor knocked out a Coldstream Guards Sergeant and attacked another squaddie’s wife at an Army Christmas ball, a court has heard. [/B]
Ashley Wolfe, 24, swung a punch, knocking out cold Lance Sergeant Michael Fallows, at the party for sergeants, officers and their wives at Woolwich Barracks in south east London last December.
Wolfe, whose husband William Wolfe was at the barracks teaching unarmed combat, shouted “Don’t mess with me: I’m a Canadian boxer” before punching the sergeant’s wife Joanne Holland in the face.
Woolwich Magistrates Court heard how after drinking heavily Wolfe “took exception” to Sergeant Fallows who was “dancing a bit gaily” and pretending to be homosexual on the dancefloor with a friend.
She confronted the pair, telling them this “shouldn’t be allowed in the British Army” before pushing them and storming off.
A short time later she returned to the men who had been joined by Mrs Holland’s husband, Sgt Damian Holland. This time she shoved Sergeant Holland so hard he fell into the band.
Sergeant Fallows, who has been in the Army for nearly eight years, told the court: "We were acting in a suggestive manner, dancing a bit gaily.
"This lady I know now as Ashley Wolfe came over and pushed me with both hands on my chest. She was saying ‘why are you doing this? It shouldn’t be allowed in the British Army’.
"Later Sergeant Holland came across and started dancing with us. I noticed Mrs Wolfe coming across the dancefloor. She pushed Sergeant Holland harder than she pushed me and he fell into the band.
“There was a lot of commotion and it moved into the reception area.”
After seeing the state of her husband when he came back from dancing Mrs Holland followed Wolfe, who was wearing a floor-length striking red satin dress, into the foyer.
She said: "When he came off the dancefloor he looked really flustered. When he came over his tie was off and his shirt was undone quite a lot at the top.
"I went through into the foyer. She was stood a couple of metres away and I asked her what was wrong.
"She said ‘don’t mess with me: I’m a Canadian boxer’. She then just hit me on the right side of my face. The bruising went all the way down my cheek.
“Everything went very blurry and dark and I felt incredible pain in my cheek bone.”
Mrs Holland said that she was taken from the room, but could see fists flying in all directions.
Jaques Howell, prosecuting, said: “Following the assault on Ms Holland a melee broke out and four people appeared to be involved. After a while Mr Fallows enters this melee, Mrs Wolfe goes over to him, administers a single punch and knocked him out cold.”
Mrs Wolfe, who was not present at the trial, claimed she only pushed Mrs Holland away. She also claimed she hit Lance Sergeant Fallows because he came at her aggressively.
However, District Judge Angus Hamilton rejected her claims and convicted her of two counts of common assault.
In her police interview, read to the court, Wolfe claimed she reacted when she saw male British squaddies “kissing” and “grinding” on the dancefloor.
In the interview she said: "All these guys started kissing each other and humping each other.
"They were kissing each other, holding each other and grinding, basically having sex with clothes on standing up. I’d say there were about seven guys dancing around, off and on.
“I pushed them apart because they were clinging on to each other and told them it wasn’t appropriate.”
Finding Wolfe guilty of both assault charges, District Judge Hamilton said: "There was nothing resembling violence or provocation before Mrs Wolfe struck Mrs Holland and the assault was entirely unprovoked. On that basis I find that charge proved.
“I’m quite sure her assault on Sergeant Fallows was unprovoked and an act of aggression on her part.”
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Wolfe, who is believed to be abroad, after she was found guilty.
They were dancing gaily gaily?