John Ashby, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty on the second day of his trial at Birmingham Crown Court to charges arising from a violent home invasion in Walsall in October 2025. He had initially denied the offences.
Prosecutors said Ashby admitted rape, robbery, intentional strangulation and a religiously aggravated assault. The victim, who did not know Ashby, had returned home after getting off a bus; he had followed her and later forced his way into her property carrying a stick he had picked up from the street.
After the woman heard a noise and locked herself in a bathroom, Ashby broke in. The court heard he turned off the light, told her he was “here to have fun,” struck her with the stick, strangled her and forced her into a bathtub where he turned on hot water and continued the assault.
Throughout the attack Ashby subjected the victim to Islamophobic abuse, apparently believing she was Muslim though she is Sikh. Prosecutors said he compelled her to repeat phrases, referred to himself as “the master,” and, after raping her, made her lie on a bed while continuing abusive and degrading comments. He stole jewellery and a mobile phone before leaving when a noise outside seemed to disturb him.
The victim raised the alarm and police arrived within minutes; she later identified Ashby at an identity parade. He was arrested two days later in Birmingham’s Perry Barr area. During police interviews he questioned the victim’s appearance, including why she was not wearing a hijab, and made remarks in custody expressing hostility toward the local community.
Court proceedings were briefly disrupted when a member of the public approached the dock and swore at Ashby; court staff intervened and order was restored. The judge praised the usher for calmly handling the incident.
Ashby is due to be sentenced on Friday. Justice Pepperall warned that a life sentence is being considered, describing the defendant as dangerous and emphasising the gravity of a violent home invasion aggravated by hostility based on the victim’s perceived religion.
