A man has confessed to sexually assaulting a Sikh woman by unlawfully entering her residence and using derogatory language towards her. John Ashby, aged 32, has admitted to the religiously motivated rape and attack on the Sikh woman at Birmingham Crown Court. Initially, Ashby denied the accusations but changed his plea to guilty one day into the trial.
Prosecutors alleged that Ashby, who does not have a fixed address, assaulted the victim in Walsall in October after stalking her off a bus and breaking into her home while she was upstairs.
During the trial’s opening statements, Phil Bradley KC informed the jury of six men and six women that despite the victim’s cries, Ashby forced her to undress, hit her with a stick, choked her, and demanded she get into the bathtub. The prosecutor highlighted that throughout the assault, Ashby verbally abused the victim based on her race and religion.
According to the prosecution, Ashby reportedly inquired about the ownership of a toothbrush, exposed himself, and engaged in lewd behavior before pouring hot water on the victim while instructing her to say “hallelujah.”
Police footage captured the victim being consoled by a female officer and recounting that the attacker insulted her as a “bloody Muslim b***h.” Witnesses described the woman as hysterical, screaming, and reporting to the authorities that she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom by the intruder armed with a piece of wood.
In a recorded interview presented in court, the complainant detailed the assailant’s actions and verbal abuse, stating that he identified her as a Muslim despite her clarifying she was Sikh.
As the video interview played in court, a member of the public confronted Ashby, criticizing his behavior. Following the interruption, the trial was briefly adjourned for a lunch break, after which Ashby, having admitted to the religiously aggravated rape and assault, was absent from the dock. Sentencing for the crimes is scheduled for Friday.