A 24-year-old man from Warwick has been sentenced to over five years in prison for sexually assaulting two teenage girls in incidents that occurred more than three years prior to his conviction. Ashley Walker, residing on St Lawrence Avenue, denied the charges until the day of his trial at Coventry Crown Court, where he was ultimately found guilty.
The first assault took place in April 2018 while Walker was staying at his girlfriend's parents' home in Stratford. A 15-year-old girl visited the house hoping to see Walker's girlfriend, who was out at the time. Walker and the girl sat together in the bedroom watching a programme on the computer. During this time, Walker placed his leg over hers and began stroking the inside of her thigh, disregarding her repeated requests to stop. He then pulled down her top and touched her, continuing despite her protests. Walker kissed her repeatedly and undid her trousers before touching her intimately. The girl continued to tell him to stop throughout the incident, and he only ceased after extracting a promise from her not to tell his girlfriend. After leaving the house, the girl confided in a friend, and Walker later sent her a text message apologising, stating 'I’m sorry.'
Following the girl's disclosure, the police were contacted, leading to Walker's arrest. During questioning, Walker admitted knowing the girl's age and acknowledged that they had been kissing and cuddling, and that she had told him to stop several times. However, he denied undoing her trousers or touching her more intimately, suggesting that any DNA evidence from a swab might be attributed to his eczema.
The second incident occurred in August 2018, when Walker, then 21, and his girlfriend were babysitting at the home of the second victim, a 14-year-old girl, while her parents were out. When Walker's girlfriend went upstairs to check on a younger sibling, Walker placed his hand inside the girl's leggings. She immediately told him to stop, and he eventually did so. As she moved towards the stairs, Walker followed, grabbed her waist, and kissed and bit her neck and ear. He stopped only upon hearing his girlfriend returning downstairs, and they left shortly afterwards. The girl later informed the police.
Upon his arrest and interview for the second offence, Walker claimed he had consumed eight or nine cans of lager but denied any touching. Notably, Walker had no previous convictions at the time of these events. Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft presented the details to the court, highlighting the non-consensual nature of both assaults.
Judge Andrew Lockhart QC sentenced Walker to five years and four months' imprisonment, describing the acts as serious sexual offences. In addition to the custodial sentence, Walker was ordered to register as a sex offender for life. The case was heard at Coventry Crown Court, with reporting from the Leamington Observer on 16th December 2021.