John Ashby, a 32-year-old man from Walsall, has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 14 years for a racially motivated sexual assault on a Sikh woman. His case has drawn attention not only for the brutality of the crime but also for his openly misogynistic online presence.
Online Misogyny Exposed
Publicly available videos on YouTube show Ashby rapping about hitting women, using derogatory language and describing himself as a 'confident alpha male.' In one clip, he says: 'I'd fight any bitch, don't give a fuck. You cheeky bitch want to get slapped up, what?' Another video features him listening to controversial influencer Andrew Tate, who promotes manosphere-adjacent messages.
The Attack
The assault occurred in October last year. Ashby forced his way into the home of a woman in her 20s, whom he mistakenly believed to be Muslim. He raped her while subjecting her to racist and misogynistic abuse, calling her a 'fucking Muslim bitch' and referring to himself as 'the master.'
During a police interview, Ashby answered 'no comment' to most questions but asked why the victim was not wearing a hijab if she was Muslim. In custody, he complained about the lack of 'Englishmen' in his area of Birmingham.
Analysis of Social Media Content
The Guardian analyzed Ashby's social media accounts, including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. His freestyle raps frequently contained violent and sexually violent lyrics, with references to women as 'bitches' and 'hos.' Many videos show him flexing, boxing, and smoking.
In a video from July 2023, he raps: 'Put my dick in, get a bit of fun then move on to the next one. See me I got to get cash. I got to lift weight.' Another from January 2024 includes the line: 'You think you're a woman and I won't slap you in your face.'
Admiration for Andrew Tate
Ashby appeared to be a devotee of Andrew Tate. Videos on his Instagram show him listening to Tate, who says: 'The modern world, call me misogynistic, the modern world was built by men.' In another clip, Tate addresses his own imprisonment in Romania, claiming it could 'happen to anybody' due to 'attacks on masculinity.'
Court Proceedings
Prosecutor Philip Bradley KC described how Ashby targeted the victim, telling her he was there 'to have fun.' He attempted to strangle her while shouting racial and religious abuse. He then demanded she climb into a bath and turn on hot water, asked which toothbrush was hers to clean his teeth, and raped her.
After the rape, Ashby forced the victim into the bedroom, where he referred to his genitalia as 'white' and 'British' and demanded she call him 'master' and herself 'bitch.' The ordeal ended when he heard a noise outside and fled, stealing her jewelry and phone.
DNA and fingerprint evidence linked Ashby to the crime, leading to his arrest two days later. He initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea on the second day of trial after being confronted by a member of the public in court.
Community Impact
Sukhvinder Kaur, chair of Sikh Women's Aid, said the case was unprecedented for the charity, which had never dealt with racially aggravated rape before. She described it as 'hate-filled rape' and expressed concern about the treatment of marginalized communities in the UK.
Shaista Gohir, chair of the Muslim Women's Network, called for urgent government action to protect minority ethnic women, citing the 'cumulative impact of daily hostility, harmful rhetoric, and disinformation.'
