A man has admitted raping a Sikh woman and using Islamophobic slurs during the attack after being confronted by a member of the public in court. John Ashby, 32, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to rape, religiously aggravated assault, intentional strangulation, and robbery at Birmingham Crown Court.
Ashby initially pleaded not guilty but changed his pleas after a member of the public approached the dock and told him to “sort your shit out”. The victim, a woman in her 20s, was due to give evidence on Tuesday. Ashby, who wrongly believed the woman was Muslim, called her a “fucking Muslim bitch” during the assault at her home in Walsall in October last year.
The court heard that Ashby followed the woman home and forced his way into the bathroom where he strangled her and repeatedly abused her. The attack ended when Ashby fled after hearing a noise outside, taking the victim’s jewellery and mobile phone. DNA and fingerprint evidence linked him to the scene.
In body-worn police footage shown to jurors, the victim recounted the attack, telling officers: “He said: ‘You are a fucking Muslim bitch.’ I said: ‘I am not a Muslim, I am a Sikh.’” After his arrest, Ashby remarked to police: “You never see an Englishman in Perry Barr any more.” In his police interview, he asked: “Why isn’t she wearing a hijab?”
The judge, Justice Pepperall, warned he was considering a life sentence, describing Ashby as a “very dangerous individual”. The Sikh Federation UK welcomed the guilty plea but condemned the “lack of accountability”. The charity Sikh Women’s Aid said the case reflects concerns about how perpetrators can prolong proceedings and compound harm for survivors. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday morning.
