Man sentenced to life for rape and religiously aggravated assault in Walsall

John Ashby has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 14 years for raping a Sikh woman and subjecting her to religiously aggravated abuse in Walsall.

The attack occurred in October 2025 when Ashby followed the victim, a woman in her 20s, as she got off a bus and entered her home without her knowledge.

During the assault, Ashby was armed with a two-foot stick which he used to beat the victim while shouting anti-Muslim abuse, mistakenly believing her to be Muslim.

He also strangled her and forced her to undress in the bathroom, demanding she say "hallelujah" as he poured hot water over her.

The attack lasted at least 24 minutes and ended when Ashby fled after being startled by a noise outside.

He also stole the victim's jewellery.

Ashby admitted charges including rape, robbery, intentional strangulation, and religiously aggravated assault during his trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The judge described Ashby, who has no fixed address, as a "deeply unpleasant racist and Islamophobe." During his police interview, Ashby made further anti-Muslim remarks, questioning why the victim was not wearing a hijab and expressing racist views about the Perry Barr area of Birmingham where he was arrested.

This case highlights the serious nature of hate crimes motivated by religious prejudice and the impact on victims wrongly targeted due to mistaken identity.

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