Man pleads guilty to religiously aggravated rape

Man pleads guilty to religiously aggravated rapeJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePA MediaJohn Ashby was on trial at Birmingham Crown CourtA man has pleaded guilty to the religiously aggravated rape and assault of a Sikh woman in her home in Walsall.The trial of John Ashby, 32, of no fixed address, began at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday.He had denied the charges against him, but on Tuesday admitted he was responsible for the attack in October 2025.Ashby was arrested in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham two days after he struck, following the woman into her property armed with a stick.At the opening of the case, the jury heard how Ashby raped the woman - a stranger - in her bathroom.The court heard Ashby subjected her to a tirade of anti-Muslim abuse, wrongly believing her to be of that faith.Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.Related internet linksHM Courts and Tribunals ServiceWalsall