An Islamophobe was sentenced to life in jail at Birmingham Crown Court today, for the brutal rape of a Sikh woman whom he believed to be Muslim.
Mr Justice Pepperall branded John Ashby, 32, a “deeply unpleasant racist and Islamophobe”for the horrific rape and violent assault of the British Indian Sikh woman in her own home.
The judge made clear that Ashby’s repeated anti-Muslim slurs and hatred were central aggravating factors in the attack.
The court heard how, on October 25, 2025, Ashby followed the woman – in her mid-twenties – from a bus stop in Walsall to her home.
He broke in through an insecure back door, armed himself with a stick, and subjected her to a prolonged ordeal of rape, strangulation, whipping, robbery and degrading abuse lasting at least 24 minutes.
In his sentencing remarks, the judge detailed the terrifying facts: Ashby ignored the woman’s screams, struck her repeatedly, strangled her, forced her into the bath, turned on the hot water and demanded she say “Hallelujah”.
He repeatedly called her “a fucking Muslim bitch”, “a dirty bitch” and “a filthy bitch”, ordered her to repeat the insults back to him, slapped his penis against her head, raped her vaginally and threatened to rape her anally. He also boasted about giving her “some big British white cock”.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
After the rape he robbed her of jewellery and a mobile phone before fleeing when neighbours responded to her cries for help.
Anti-Muslim hatred
He told Ashby directly: “I find that throughout this offending you demonstrated your hostility to this woman because she is Asian and because you assumed that she was a Muslim. Your repeated insistence that she call you the master, that she was a filthy Muslim bitch, that she should repeat the word Hallelujah as you poured water over her, that she was going to have what you referred to as your big British white cock, and your subsequent remarks following your arrest, reveal you as a deeply unpleasant racist and Islamophobe.”
The judge ruled the assault was religiously aggravated, increasing the sentence for that count to reflect Ashby’s “hostility towards this woman based on your mistaken assumption as to her religion”.
He sentenced Ashby to life imprisonment for rape with a minimum term of 13 years and 185 days before he can even apply for parole.
Concurrent sentences were imposed for the other offences: 2½ years for intentional strangulation, 14 years for robbery, and 4½ years for religiously aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Victim impact statement
In a victim impact statement, the female victim said: “What happened to me has changed every part of my life. Before the incident, life was great. I was happy and doing well in my job; I was enjoying life. I would go out with friends and family to all different parts of the country. I had plans for the future.
“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. I feel like my sense of safety, in myself and my surroundings, has been taken away from me.
“Despite moving home, I am still hyper-aware of every noise I hear. Whether that be doors shutting or objects falling, everything makes me jump; I am always on edge. I constantly think someone is in the house, especially when I am home alone. I am always checking the doors and windows are locked. I no longer feel comfortable in my own space.
“Myself and my partner had planned to go to India to get married. However, we were not able to go ahead with this because I was not ready for it. I could not go through with the marriage with the court case going on; it massively impacted my life.
“Emotionally, this has had a significant impact on me. I feel a constant sense of fear and vulnerability. I have nightmares and flashbacks that make it feel like I am reliving what happened over and over again. I find it very hard to trust others, and I am always on edge.
“Despite the distress I was feeling, I knew I had to come to court. I knew I had to be brave and strong. It took everything in my being to come to court that day, but I knew I needed to get the justice I deserve and closure on the ordeal I went through.
“Hearing him plead guilty made me feel emotional. I knew I was finally free. I now no longer feel trapped, knowing he cannot get to me or hurt me anymore. I can begin to live my life again.
“I finally have the closure I deserve, and I am now able to start piecing my life back together and look forward to the future with my partner. I hope we can get married, and I am hoping to be able to return to work and be happy again. I refuse to let this define me and stop me from living my life to the fullest.”
Ashby has a long criminal record including violence, weapons offences and harassment. He had only recently been discharged from a mental health unit under the Mental Health Act, where he had been psychotic due to drug use.
A forensic psychiatrist’s report confirmed his offending was driven by voluntary cocaine and synthetic cannabinoid abuse, not any underlying mental illness that would reduce his culpability.
The judge rejected any significant mitigation from his autism spectrum disorder or personality traits, stating they did not explain the “deliberate and considered” nature of the break-in and rape.
In a stern warning on public safety, Mr Justice Pepperall declared: “I have no doubt whatever that you are a very dangerous man and that you pose a significant risk to women of serious harm occasioned by the commission of further serious sexual offences… I conclude that you pose an extreme level of danger to the public and particularly to women and that there is no reliable way of estimating the length of time that you will remain a danger.”
He added that the extreme seriousness of the case justified a life sentence rather than a fixed term, saying the risk “cannot be adequately met by an extended determinate sentence”.
Muslim community leaders in the West Midlands have welcomed the strong sentence, viewing it as a clear stand against rising Islamophobic violence.
Although the victim was Sikh, Ashby’s explicit anti-Muslim language and assumption that she was Muslim have been widely condemned as part of a broader pattern of hate targeting visible ethnic and faith minorities.
Ashby was ordered to pay the statutory surcharge. He was led from the dock to begin his life sentence immediately.
