Burglar who threatened greenkeeper is jailed

A prolific criminal who broke into a golf club and threatened at least one greenkeeper with a knife has been jailed.

Ashley Wardell, 29, who has 26 convictions for 45 offences, including numerous burglaries and thefts, stuck his fingers up at the judge as he was sentenced.

He had been pictured making a similar gesture outside a court at a previous hearing.

Wardell and an accomplice smashed their way into Dinsdale Golf Club’s clubhouse in Darlington this April while wearing balaclavas.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the pair were inside the golf club for 15 minutes. They forced open the cash till, stole alcohol and clothes, and left smashed bottles everywhere.

Ashley Wardell. Image from Durham Constabulary

A greenkeeper entered the clubhouse shortly before 7am and the duo chased him out of it while recording themselves on a phone.

Wardell threatened the greenkeeper by saying he would “sort you out”.

He then ran across the golf course and was chased by other greenkeepers, at which point he pulled a large kitchen knife out of his trousers.

Staff shouted his name as they knew who he was. Wardell replied: “I’ve been up all night and I’m off my t*** and I don’t care if you know who I am.”

In a statement, the owner of the golf club, Max Alexander, said that the burglary had been “a nightmare” for them and that £6,000 of damage had been caused. He said that a food order had had to be cancelled and the reputation of the club was also affected: “This isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened, due to our inability to secure our premises due to public footpaths.”

Recorder Abdul Iqbal told Wardell: “You and the co-accused went to the golf club armed with items to carry out the burglary. You forced open the till.

“You tried to force open the safe. You stole alcohol. You left behind several thousand pounds of damage to the business, in stolen alcohol, in loss of reputation and business.”

Wardell was serving two suspended sentences at the time of the attack. He was sentenced to three years and two months.