Locations
Sowden Park, Barnstaple, Devon, EX32
Description
A sex predator was caught and arrested on the M5 after police traced his car. Nicholas Ashby, 41, sexually assaulted a woman and attempted to rape another woman as they walked home.
The first incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, September 25 2022, when the victim was walking home alone after a night out with friends. As she walked along Bear Street, near the entrance of Barnstaple Cemetery, she noticed a car pull into a lay-by ahead of her, reports Devon Live.
Once she had passed the vehicle, she was approached by an unknown man who sexually assaulted her and put his arm across her neck causing her to momentarily pass out. When she woke, the offender returned to his vehicle.
The woman hid behind a nearby vehicle; fearful that the offender would return. It was here that the victim instinctively noted down as much detail as she could of the man and his car on her phone - an act which was commended in court.
Once at home, the police were alerted, and an investigation was launched by Barnstaple CID, while a Sexual Offences Liaison Officer was allocated to support the victim. Immediate enquiries were carried out to identify the suspect based on information the victim had given and a public media appeal was issued.
The following week, in the early hours of Sunday 2 October 2022, a woman was attacked on Beaufort Walk while walking home. The victim had been on her phone to a friend when her battery suddenly died. A short time after, she was approached from behind by a man who threatened her with a craft knife, telling her that if she made a sound, he would hurt her. Ashby pinned her to the floor, marking her with the blade and continued to attack her before running from the scene.
The victim managed to get to her home address and alert police. Specially trained officers and an ambulance crew attended.
Both cases were linked, and detectives from the Major Crime Investigation Team progressed fast-track enquiries. CCTV analysis of both incidents identified a black Mercedes E class estate which was seen driving through and around the area on both nights of the attacks.
Officers received information from the forensics team stating that the DNA taken from Nicholas Ashby matched the profile to that of the DNA identified on the victim’s clothing and his arrest was sought.
His car was tracked to the M5 where traffic officers were waiting for him. Ashby was arrested on January 5 while out driving in his car and even though he provided ‘no comment’ during police interviews, he was charged and remanded for both attacks.
Footage released by Devon and Cornwall Police, which you can watch at the top of this article, shows the moment Ashby was pulled over and arrested by police. The video shows Ashby exiting his car, when a police officer says: "Okay, just to let you know, okay, you're under arrest on suspicion of rape, okay?".
The footage then shows a handcuffed Ashby being put into the back of a police car.
Ashby had previously pleaded guilty in May 2023 to the sexual assault of a woman in Barnstaple in September 2022 and the attempted rape of another woman in Barnstaple in October 2022.
With an overwhelmingly strong case presented by the prosecution team, Nicholas Ashby pleaded guilty in May 2023. Ashby was told he would serve a minimum of seven years and 11 months.