Thirty-two-year-old John Ashby, who raped a Sikh woman while hurling anti-Muslim abuse after wrongly believing she was Muslim, has been jailed for life.

Ashby was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday and will serve a minimum of 14 years after admitting rape and a religiously aggravated offence.

During sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Pepperall described Ashby as a “deeply unpleasant racist and Islamophobe.”

The court had heard how Ashby followed the Sikh woman home on foot in Walsall last October before forcing his way into her home and launching a prolonged attack.

He strangled and sexually assaulted the victim while subjecting her to racist and anti-Muslim abuse.

The woman told police her attacker called her a “bloody Muslim b****”, claimed to be a “British master,” demanded she say “hallelujah,” and during the ordeal referred to his private parts as being white British.

Ashby initially denied the charges but later changed his plea and admitted guilt.

The judge said Ashby held the woman captive and “sexually and physically assaulted her for at least 24 minutes.”

In his sentencing remarks, the judge also referred to comments Ashby made after his arrest, including: “You never see any Englishmen in Perry Barr anymore.”

He also said to Ashby: “On being shown a photograph of the woman during your police interview, you asked why she wasn’t wearing a hijab.”

Vicious attack

Ashby was on the same bus as the victim, who was a stranger to him, after she finished work and travelled home. CCTV footage captured him following her off the bus and all the way to her address

The court heard the victim had returned home and gone upstairs when Ashby broke into her house.

She told police he burst into the bathroom, forced her to remove her clothes and told her he was a “British master”.

In a video interview played in court, the victim told police: “He had a stick in his hand. I said ‘who are you?’ and I started screaming.”

“He switched off the light. He said ‘I just want fun with you.’ He said ‘you are a f***ing Muslim bitch’, I said ‘I am not a Muslim, I am a Sikh.’”

Ashby only fled after hearing a noise outside and becoming “spooked”, taking the woman’s jewellery and mobile phone before running away.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said the attack had devastated her life.

“What happened to me has changed every part of my life,” she said.

“Before the incident life was great. I was enjoying life. Now following the incident my life has drastically changed. I feel like that version of myself has been stripped away by a complete stranger with no explanation as to why.

“I feel lost and I struggle to recognise myself.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Rav Dhillon from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was a deeply disturbing attack driven by religious hatred, carried out against an innocent woman in her own home – where she had every right to be and feel safe. 

“We invited the court to treat the religious hostility shown throughout this offending as an aggravating feature. No one should be subjected to violence and hatred because of their background – perceived or otherwise. 

“Our thoughts remain with the victim, who showed remarkable courage, and we hope today’s sentencing brings her some measure of justice.”

Image credit: West Midlands police