Former English Premier League star Nathan Ashton, who played for Fulham and Charlton, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for raping two women in separate incidents.
The first assault occurred in 2015 when Ashton drove his victim to a remote countryside location, in UK, ordering her into the back seat where he raped her. He callously told her, “You’ll live.” Eight years later, Ashton targeted his second victim while she slept in a friend’s bed.
In a powerful victim impact statement, one of Ashton’s victims expressed enduring trauma, stating, “Because of what he chose to do to me, I have feared men ever since – and always will. The feelings I hold for him are disgust and hatred. I think he is a vile human being.”
The second woman revealed the ongoing psychological toll, including panic attacks, caused by the assault, describing its “far-reaching and devastating impact” on her life.
Reading Crown Court heard that Ashton’s first victim sought medical help the day after the attack in 2015 but did not report it to the police until five years later due to fear of not being believed. The second assault occurred in February of the previous year, with the victim awakening to find Ashton on top of her despite her pleas for him to stop.
During sentencing, Judge Mathew Turner criticized Ashton for his lack of empathy towards his victims, noting, “You used your physical strength to do what you wanted, with no empathy or compassion for your victims. You are manipulative and focused on yourself and your own sexual satisfaction.”
Ashton, who began his footballing career at Charlton Athletic’s youth team in 2005 before stints at Fulham, Crystal Palace, Wycombe Wanderers, AFC Wimbledon, and Tilbury, was previously jailed in 2016 for 15 years for his involvement in armed robberies at bookmakers across the South East.
