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  "path": "/2026/04/24/rapist-attacked-sikh-woman-thought-muslim-jailed-life-28102566/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-24T12:26:19.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
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  "textContent": "To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\n**A rapist who targeted a Sikh woman thinking she was Muslim and racially abused her during a ‘harrowing’ attack in her own home has been jailed for life.**\n\nJohn Ashby, 32, told her he was her ‘British master’ during the assault in Walsall last October.\n\nHe had denied charges of rape, robbery, intentional strangulation and religiously aggravated assault and went on trial earlier this week.\n\nBut he dramatically changed his plea after someone from the public gallery approached the dock and shouted at him to ‘sort your shit out’.\n\nHis victim was due to step into the witness box at Birmingham Crown Court and relive the attack while giving evidence.\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nAshby was jailed for life with a minimum term of 14 years today.\n\nJohn Ashby was jailed for life today (Picture: West Midlands Police/PA Wire)\n\nJohn Ashby broke into the woman’s home before subjecting her to a terrifying racially-motivated ordeal (Picture: West Midlands Police/SWNS)\n\nOpening the case on Monday, prosecutor Phil Bradley KC said Ashby ‘targeted’ the woman when he spotted her on a bus and followed her to her home in Walsall on foot last October.\n\nExtracts from ‘harrowing’ body-worn police footage showing the young woman – who was in court to see Ashby change his pleas – were played to the jury of six men and six women, during which she was comforted by a female officer and said her attacker had called her a ‘bloody Muslim bitch’.\n\nThe woman told police she had been raped in a bathroom by the intruder, who claimed to be a ‘British master’.\n\nIn a video interview played to the trial, the complainant told police: ‘He had a stick in his hand. I said “who are you” and I started screaming.\n\n‘He switched off the light. He said “I just want fun with you”. He said “you are a f****** Muslim bitch”, I said “I am not a Muslim, I am a Sikh”.’\n\nJohn Ashby captured on CCTVfollowing a woman off a bus before raping her at her home (Picture: West Midlands Police/SWNS)\n\nProsecutors told the court there could be no doubt that Ashby was the man who attacked the woman, citing DNA evidence, fingerprints found on a vape and the fact he was picked out by the victim at an identity parade.\n\nCCTV footage also placed Ashby near the scene, where he picked up the two-foot long stick.\n\nThe outburst that led to Ashby changing his pleas on Tuesday – which the judge described as an ‘ugly incident’ – happened after the defendant appeared to whisper ‘it’s all bullshit’ during the prosecution evidence.\n\nA man believed to be a member of the Sikh community with an interest in the case, who was not known to the victim, then walked calmly to within 3ft of the glass-fronted dock and told Ashby: ‘You’re the bullshit. You need to sort your shit out.’\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Rapist who targeted Sikh woman because he thought she was Muslim jailed for life"
}