'Let's cut his fingers': Former Chelsea star Ashely Cole tied up, threatened during violent home robbery
The Nottingham Crown Court in the UK is (as of April 11, 2022) hearing testimony over a series of break-ins committed by a violent and ruthless gang between October 2018 and July 2019. Also part of the testimony is the robbery of soccer star Ashely Cole's home, which took place in January 2020. Not only did the gang take highly valuable items, but they also threatened to break Cole's fingers, the court heard.
One of the individuals behind the robbery at Cole's home, Kurtis Dilks, is believed to have links to a gang that robbed a £3.75 million ($4.88 million) Portland Tiara from the Welbeck Estate in 2018. Ten others are also facing charges related to a series of "carefully planned and at times ruthlessly executed burglaries and violent robberies" between October 2018 and July 2019. The gang is also accused of conspiracy to rob the home of another footballer — Tom Huddlestone.
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The series of stunning raids were conducted by a group from both Nottingham and London, using extremely violent methods and threatening anyone that came across their way. While Cole was certainly at the receiving end, he wasn't alone. Huddlestone's wife, Joanna Dixon, was also tied up, and threatened, as prosecutors revealed on April 11, 2022.
'We don’t want to manhandle you'
In January 2020, a four-member gang broke into the home of the English soccer star in Surrey, near London. "The presence of householders did not deter these defendants. They were armed with weapons and the means to subdue them," prosecutor Michael Brady said. The gang reportedly tied Cole's hands behind his back and demanded jewelry and watches. Cole's wife, Sharon Canu, was found hiding in a cupboard with her son, attempting to call the police.
"The next thing Ms. Canu knew was when one of the robbers opened the wardrobe door and took the phone from her while she was talking to the police," Brady said. He added, "She then saw Mr. Cole on his knees with his hands tied behind his back." Initially, she refused to have her hands tied too, but was forced to relent after one gang member threatened her with a knife, in front of the couple's children.
"Do you want that?" one robber told Canu, while another turned to Cole and said, "Let's cut his fingers", threatening to torture the football player. Police arrived shortly afterward, prompting the robbers to flee with watches, mobile phones, cash, a Gucci bag, headphones, and a BMW smart key. In a similar vein, two other defendants — Ashley Cumberpatch and Andrew MacDonald — reportedly robbed Huddlestone's home in Nottingham while he was away playing a match. The two men tied up Huddleston's wife with cable ties, telling her, "Don’t make this difficult, we don’t want to manhandle you."
They then got away with £500,000 (around $651,000) worth of stolen goods including jewelry, handbags, and her wedding and engagement rings. The same gang members are believed to be behind the theft of The Portland tiara in November 2018. The tiara, which was worn to the coronation of Edward VII, was taken along with other valuables during a robbery of the Harley Gallery. It is believed that the items were then passed on to be sold, mostly abroad.
Six of the gang members are currently facing robbery charges - Matthew Johnson, Ashley Cumberpatch, Adrian Eddishaw, Kelly Duong, Andrew MacDonald, and Kurtis Dilks. Five others - Darren Stokes, Christopher Yorke, Gordon Thornhill, Tevfik Guccuk, and Sercan Evsin are all charged with converting criminal property. All 11 deny the charges.