Former BDO world champion Ted Hankey has been sentenced to two years in prison for a sexual assault which was caught on camera.
According to Chester Crown Court, the 54-year-old from Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, pinned down a young woman before sexually abusing her with a “air of entitlement.”
At an earlier hearing on September 10 in Crewe, Hankey pled guilty to one count of sexual assault.
Judge Steven Everett told the court that if the act had not been caught on film, the former darts player would have denied it “to the bitter end.”
After the public and press parts of the courtroom were removed, the footage was shown to the judge.
Hankey, well known as ‘The Count’ in the darting world, claimed the BDO World Darts Championships in 2000 and 2009.
The first of those titles set a competition record for the shortest final in tournament history. In a match that lasted only 46 minutes, Hankey defeated Ronnie Baxter 6-0.
During his stint on the BDO and PDC circuits, the player was no stranger to controversy, and he also had a tumultuous relationship with the fans.
Hankey experienced a transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke) in his game against Michael van Gerwen at the 2012 Grand Slam of Darts.
In the aftermath, the Englishman was also diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Hankey last competed in a major tournament in 2018, losing in the first round of the Winmau World Masters.
