John Ashby, 32, pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court to raping a Sikh woman in Walsall after following her home from a bus – in a racially motivated attack
Disturbing footage has captured the moment a racist attacker followed a Sikh woman from a bus and trailed her to her home before raping her “because he thought she was Muslim”.
John Ashby, 32, forced his way into the woman’s property before subjecting her to a horrifying, racially-motivated ordeal in which she was raped, strangled and assaulted.
A court heard how he had tracked the woman from her workplace after boarding the same bus as her in Walsall, West Midlands, on October 25 last year.
He then forced his way into her home, calling her a ‘f***ing Muslim b***h’ and telling her he was there to “have fun” and “give her some British c***”, jurors were told.
Throughout the attack, Ashby continued to racially abuse the woman, who was in her 20s, declaring he was “the master.”
Following his arrest, when shown a photograph of the victim, he questioned why she was not wearing a hijab.
Ashby, of no fixed abode, initially denied rape, intentional strangulation, robbery and racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm when he stood trial on Monday.
However, the following day he changed his pleas to guilty at Birmingham Crown Court.
Subsequently, West Midlands Police released CCTV footage showing Ashby pursuing the woman from the bus she had taken home from work, trailing her along the street before forcing entry into her home.
Additional footage also showed him retrieving a stick from a wooded area and concealing it beneath his jacket.
Opening the case, Philip Bradley, prosecuting, said the Indian-born woman had finished work before boarding a bus to Walsall town centre and then catching another bus.
He said: “That bus would complete her journey home.
“This defendant had got on the same bus and initially sat upstairs but s short while later he moved to the lower level which was where she was sitting, a complete stranger to her.
“This defendant was never the less interested in her.”
Mr Bradley said when the alleged victim alighted and started the brief walk home, Ashby followed her.
He added: “She turned into her drive way and went to the front door and the defendant continued to walk past her address.
” However he quickly about turned. He picked up a stick which he put inside his jacket.
“Within a short time he was inside her house.
“She went upstairs to change her clothes and went to the bathroom.
“She told the police that while there she heard a noise downstairs.
“Because she was home alone she had no reason to lock the bathroom door.
“She rushed to do so. However she was too late and this defendant barged his way in and so her ordeal began.
“Once inside the bathroom he turned the light off and told her he was going to have some fun despite her screams.
“He told her to take her clothes off and struck her with the stick.
“He put both hands around her neck and strangled her and then demanded that she climb into the bath tub.
“Throughout the attack he racially abused her calling her a f***king Muslim b**ch and that she was dirty.
“He asked which tooth brush was hers because he wanted to clean his teeth.
“When she was in the bath tub naked he exposed himself.
“He turned on the hot water tap and began pouring water over her.
“He repeatedly told her he was the master and that she was a f***ing bitch.”
He said Ashby then raped the woman.
Mr Bradley added: “He was not yet finished. He told the her to go into the bedroom and lie on the bed and give her a British c**k.”
The prosecutor stated that her ordeal came to an end when Ashby was “spooked” by a noise outside and fled, taking some of the woman’s jewellery and her mobile phone.
The victim raised the alarm almost immediately and neighbours rushed to her aid.
Officers subsequently took swabs from her and discovered DNA matching that of the defendant.
Mr Bradley noted that Ashby’s fingerprints were also recovered from a vape he had left at the scene, along with his DNA on the toothbrush.
He said Ashby was apprehended in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham two days later.
Mr Bradley added: “When he was in custody he said to the police you don’t see English men in Perry Barr any more.”
The court was told the victim had a partner who resided at the property and that Ashby had most likely gained entry through a rear door.
Ashby will be sentenced on Friday (24/4).
Following the case, Chief Superintendent Samantha Batey of Walsall Police commented: “This was an abhorrent and violent attack on a woman, which was made all the worse by the language which Ashby used during the ordeal.
“We were able to get to the lady very quickly after she made contact us, and offer her immediate support.
“From the moment it was reported to us, our investigators worked flat out to identify the person responsible and support the lady who was attacked.
“That support continues to this day, and our thoughts remain with her and her loved ones.
“We understand the impact this horrific attack had on communities in the West Midlands and beyond.
“We have spoken with faith and community leaders in the aftermath of what happened and remain committed to doing everything we can to make women safer, and feel safer.”
