Canadian ‘Glambo’ in red dress KOs elite trooper in party brawl

VANCOUVER — A petite Vancouver woman is being sought by an English court after she wiped the floor with a collection of Britain’s premier soldiers — the Coldstream Guards — during a brawl at a Christmas party in the guardsmen’s barracks last December.

Ashley Wolfe, 24, was tried in absentia this week at Woolwich Magistrates Court in London after failing to appear on two charges of assault — one involving a soldier’s wife, the other a sergeant she knocked cold with one punch.

After finding her guilty the court issued an international warrant for her arrest.

Wolfe, who stands five foot three, was wearing what the British press described as a “striking red satin dress” to the party.

She was accused of telling her victims “don’t mess with me, I’m a Canadian boxer.”

The melee involving Wolfe — dubbed “Glambo” by the British press — has attracted international media coverage.

But just what happened in the barracks that night is open to debate.

Ashley and husband Bill — who had part of his nose bitten off in the fight — told the Vancouver Sun Thursday that the allegations against her were false.

In a telephone interview from Hungary, the couple said her lawyer had sought an adjournment to the trial because she was sick with the flu earlier this week and a doctor advised her not to travel.

However, the request was denied and the trial went on, resulting in a guilty verdict.

“We want that overturned,” said Bill. “Our lawyers are requesting a retrial.”

The Coldstream Guard says that during a drinking session, Ashley took exception to what she perceived to be gay embraces among some of the soldiers on the dance floor, particularly the actions of Lance-Sgt. Michael Fallows.

She told police that “all these guys were kissing and humping each other — basically having sex with their clothes on . . . I pushed them apart because they were clinging to each other and told them it wasn’t appropriate.”

She told them such behaviour “shouldn’t be allowed in the British Army.”

This led to a confrontation between her and a number of other soldiers during which she pushed over a sergeant, Damian Holland.

Holland’s wife Joanne then confronted Ashley and was punched in the face. Ashley is then said to have cold-cocked Fallows, who was knocked unconscious.

At that point a general melee broke out involving the two Canadians and a group of guardsmen.

That was the uncontested version given to the court.

However, the Wolfes say a group of six sergeants attempted to get Ashley to join them in a sexually suggestive mosh pit on the dance floor, which she rejected.

“It had nothing to do with me saying anything about gays. They were acting disgusting — perverted, humping each other and they wanted me to join in their little sex acts on the dance floor,” she said.

“I told them it was inappropriate and then this blond girl comes from nowhere and starts pushing me (she denies hitting the woman) and I got punched out by her husband,” said Ashley.

“Her husband was yelling at me ‘you f——g Yankee bitch’ and punches me so hard in the head I fall to the floor. This is what started the fight. I got blindsided a second time and then this Sgt. Fallows came at me aggressively and I took no chances and beat him to the punch.”

Bill, a former Canadian Army regimental sergeant major, said they tried to entice his wife into lewd behaviour and when she resisted they told her to “f— off.”

“I said ‘don’t talk to her like that’ and they said ‘f— off Yank’ and I told them we’re Canadians. After that I said to Ashley we’re going to leave,” he said.

“Then Holland comes right over the top of his wife and hits Ashley in the face. She fell to the ground and I screamed because I thought she was dead. That’s when the soldiers jumped me. Holland’s wife had pushed him out of the way and two women came to Ashley’s aid. She’s dazed and gets up from the floor and this other guy Fallows was going to hit her when she clocks him with a left hook.

“It was beautiful. Down he went, unconscious,” said Bill who then became embroiled with four soldiers and Holland, who he says bit off the end of his nose.

Vancouver Sun

With files from the Daily Telegraph