LETCHWORTH MAN CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND STRANGULATION
Ashley Banks, a 35-year-old with no fixed address, was sentenced on Wednesday (March 1) at St Albans Crown Court to eight years in prison plus a three-year extended license period after attempting to strangle a woman the day after he was released from incarceration.The court was informed that Banks had committed multiple sexual assaults and, during a violent episode at a property in Letchworth Garden City last year, he punched the victim repeatedly and tried to strangle her.
He was convicted of sexual assault by penetration and received an eight-year sentence, with additional sentences of six years for another sexual assault by penetration, 12 months for non-fatal strangulation which are to run concurrently and 14 months for each of two counts of sexual assault by touching.
Additional charges, including racially aggravated public order and assault causing actual bodily harm, resulted in concurrent sentences of six, four, two, and one months respectively.
This case marked the second instance in the county where someone was charged under the new legislation on non-fatal strangulation, which was enacted on June 7, 2022.
The offences related to both physical and sexual abuse, proven during a December 2022 trial spanning two days.
Investigator Lauren Shelley, who led the investigation, stated that Banks had demonstrated dangerous behaviour particularly toward women.
She described the attacks as brutal and sustained, emphasizing the risk posed by strangulation, even momentarily.
Shelley mentioned that Banks also assaulted a member of the public who tried to intervene, and at the time of arrest, he kicked a police officer and was racially abusive.
She expressed satisfaction with the conviction and the substantial sentence, highlighting the efforts to protect women from Banks’s dangerous conduct.
The victim was reportedly extremely frightened and expressed fears for her safety.
Police and partner agencies supported her recovery, and Shelley noted that despite her initial inability to cooperate, investigators gathered enough evidence, including CCTV footage, to prosecute Banks.
The judge marked Banks as “dangerous” and added the extended license to prevent further harm during the court hearing.
