Karate instructor punches soldiers for ‘dancing like gays’
A Christmas ball at an army barracks last year descended into chaos when a petite female martial arts instructor knocked out a Coldstream Guard for “dancing gaily”.
Woolwich Magistrates Court heard yesterday that Ashley Wolfe, 24, became angry at the sight of soldiers dancing in a camp manner at Woolwich Barracks and proceeded to floor one, Lance Sergeant Michael Fallows, with a single punch.
The instructor, who is 5ft 3, also threw Sergeant Damian Holland into a sound system and punched his wife Joanne.
Wolfe, a Canadian who attended the event with her husband William Wolfe, who was teaching unarmed combat at the barracks, is said to have shouted “[this] should not be allowed in the British Army”.
Witnesses said she had been drinking heavily.
Fallows 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’.”
When Sergeant Holland approached, Wolfe pushed him to a sound system.
Joanne Holland then followed Wolfe to ask her what was wrong. According to Holland, the karate instructor said: “Don’t mess with me: I’m a Canadian boxer”.
Holland added: “She then just hit me on the right side of my face. The bruising went all the way down my cheek.”
After the assault on Joanne Holland, a brawl broke out between four people. When Fallows entered the melee, Wolfe knocked him out with a single punch.
In a police interview, Wolfe 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.”
She claimed she had acted in self-defence. Her husband had part of his nose bitten off in the fight.
Although Wolfe was not present in court, District Judge Hamilton found her guilty on two charges of common assault and sent out an international warrant for her arrest.
