A crown green bowling champion who was thrown out of a well-heeled village social club for ‘sexual impropriety’ has received a fourth restraining order in a month after puncturing club members’ tyres.

Robert Crawshaw, 65, from Wilmslow, was kicked out of the Union Club in Alderley Edge in Cheshire’s ‘Golden Triangle’ for ‘sexual impropriety’ after he led a plea for floodlights to be installed at the bowling green.

And last week he was handed his fourth restraining order after he admitted harassing a committee member with a barrage of emails challenging the decision to throw him out.

The 65-year-old had been issued with three restraining orders last month and was also told to pay £1,149 in compensation after he was convicted of criminal damage. 

Following his expulsion, the businessman mounted a revenge campaign, including puncturing the tyres of members of the 136-year-old village club.

Crawshaw, who had been a member for 46 years and whose partner was the club President, hounded officials with emails demanding to know who complained about him and even vandalised cars belonging to the steward, his wife and a committee member.

Crawshaw was arrested after CCTV caught him using a sharp instrument to puncture all the tyres on a Peugeot 508 belonging to club steward Paul Furby before targeting his wife Julie’s Dacia Stepway Sandero causing a total of £849.60 worth of damage.

He was also seen visiting the home of committee member Melanie Farnworth before putting a hole in one of the tyres of her Jaguar E-Pace, causing £300 worth of damage. 

Robert Crawshaw  (pictured), 65, from Wilmslow, was thrown out of the Union Club in Alderley Edge in Cheshire for ‘sexual impropriety’ after he led a plea for floodlights to be installed at the bowling green

Last week he was handed his fourth restraining order after he admitted harassing a committee member with a barrage of emails challenging the decision to throw him out

Paul and Julie Furby (pictured) whose car tyres were damaged by Crawshaw at a cost of £850 

Members of the well-to-do village club paid £14,000 for a lawyer to send Crawshaw a ‘cease and desist’ letter warning him not to contact the board

Members of the well-to-do village club paid £14,000 for a lawyer to send Crawshaw a ‘cease and desist’ letter warning him not to contact the board.

But the businessman, who has played bowls since he was 14, ignored it and carried on messaging members threatening legal action.

Allegations of inappropriate sexual behaviour were reported after a dispute surrounding the new lights in March 2023.

Mr Crawshaw persuaded the club that they needed new club lights but there was disagreement between members over if they should be paid for by the whole of the club or just the bowling section of the club.

Crawshaw, who runs a business which refurbishes around 200 bowls lawns every winter in the off-season, claims he was not given a proper opportunity to attend meetings to dispute the allegations.

Sarah McInerney, prosecuting, told Crewe magistrates: ‘The defendant contacted by way of email threatening legal action and criticising staff for around 12 months. He was issued with a cease-and-desist letter instructing him not to contact members of the board from the club but he went onto to ignore that and since that letter, he has sent a further 12 emails threatening legal action.

‘He contacted the complainant’s personal email address causing her to feel harassed.’

Barrister Julian Farley, in mitigation, said Crawshaw has been ‘effectively paralysed’ since his dismissal from the club.

‘His mental health has deteriorated to such an extent that pretty much all 200 bowls are still on his workshop shelf waiting to be started on. He is finding it extremely difficult,’ he added.

‘Clearly, he has to find the strength to get back to work which may substantially help his mental health.’

‘He did not want to plead guilty but I advised him in law unfortunately he is guilty and apologises to Mrs Watson for the way things have developed.’

The bowls club was traditionally comprised of footmen, butlers, ostlers and gardeners who worked for wealthy mill owners living in the village.