Ashley Banks

Ashley Banks, a 35-year-old man from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, was convicted at St Albans Crown Court on Thursday, December 22, 2022, of a series of violent and sexual offences committed against a woman in July 2022.

The court heard that Banks, who had been released from prison just one day prior to the incident, sexually assaulted the victim multiple times in the stairwell of an address in Letchworth Garden City. The assaults included two counts of sexual assault by touching and two counts of sexual assault by penetration. During the attack, Banks punched the woman repeatedly in the face, causing actual bodily harm (ABH), and placed his arms around her throat, committing non-fatal strangulation. He also assaulted a member of the public who attempted to intervene.

Following his arrest on the same day, Banks kicked a police officer and directed racially abusive language towards another, leading to additional convictions for assaulting an emergency worker and racially aggravated public order offence.

Investigator Lauren Shelley, who led the case for Hertfordshire Constabulary, emphasised the severity of the offences. "Strangulation, even momentarily, is extremely dangerous," she stated. "Our priority was to safeguard the victim from further harm. She was terrified of Banks and was therefore understandably unable to support a police investigation. However, Banks is a danger to women and, due to the serious nature of the offences, we were able to investigate independently and gathered enough evidence, including CCTV footage, to bring him before the courts."

The trial lasted two days, during which the jury found Banks guilty on all counts. He was described in court as a "danger to women" due to the nature of his actions. Banks, who is of no fixed abode, is scheduled to be sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on Friday, February 17, 2023.