Man with 'crazed attitude to sex' jailed after abuse of schoolgirl in 'den of iniquity' in Bolton

ITV News

29-04-2025

Mel Barham reports on the sentencing of Ashley Darbyshire at Liverpool Crown Court
A man with a 'crazed attitude to sex' groomed a schoolgirl and then enjoyed watching others further degrade her in a 'den of iniquity', a judge has said.
Ashley Darbyshire, 28, targeted his victim from the age of 13 with sexualised messages on Facebook and repeated demands to meet her in person.
His offending began after he kissed her when she was wearing her school uniform and told her: 'You're gonna do it one day, you might as well just do it now.'
The complainant became 'infatuated' with Darbyshire who went on to rape her twice at a house in Bolton, Greater Manchester, described at Liverpool Crown Court as a 'filthy hovel'.
Sentencing Darbyshire on Monday 28 April to 15 years in jail, Judge Simon Medland KC told him: 'You cajoled and threatened her and pretended to have affection for her.
'She was simply a simply object to you, a human sexual commodity which you consumed as and when you wished.
'Your treatment of her was coldly sexualised and you manipulated her in your ways.
'In time you introduced her to your friends…and a lawless den of iniquity in which drugtaking, drinking of alcohol and sexual offending took place.
'That introduction helped you to further sexually deprave (the complainaint).
'I am quite sure this process and its outcomes were themselves sexually satisfying for you.
'You enjoyed seeing her being abused in this way.
'You had a crazed attitude to sex which in the main was an exercise of power and control.'
The court heard that Derbyshire, who groomed his victim from when he was aged 19, had a 'long history' of sexualised conduct with teenage girls who he also contacted online.
Last month he also admitted committing sexual offences against four other complainants including the rape of a girl aged 15.
He was due to go on trial last year with his co-defendants but had a brain haemorrhage in August.
Due to his condition Darbyshire, of Westhoughton, Bolton, was now unable to recall his offending, the court was told.
In February eight other men were convicted at Liverpool Crown Court of various sexual offences against the complainant who was groomed from the age of 13.
Also sentenced on Monday was Brandon Harwood, 25, from Bolton, who was jailed for 10 years for offences of rape, attempted rape and sexual activity with a child.
Ross Corley, 30, of Bolton, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of sexual activity with a child and was jailed for 28 months.
Harvie Aspden, 25, of Bury, received a 15-month jail term, suspended for two years, after he was convicted of sexual activity with the complainant when he was 17 and she was aged 14.
Six other men will be sentenced on Tuesday, 29 April.
In her victim personal statement read to the court, the complainant said: 'I'd rather be dead most days than deal with all this mental torture and memories.
'I shouldn't have had to grow up so young and spend the rest of my life 'healing' from what these monsters did to me, leaving me in my own prison I built for myself in my own mind for the rest of my life.
'Ashley destroyed me in every possible way he could. He knew exactly how to work me and what to say to make me do anything he wanted. He had a hold over me and to this day I question why.
'He took everything I had. He trained me like a dog, with drugs and emotions and using behavioural conditioning tactics.
'He ruined my life.'
Detective Inspector Samantha Perry, from Bolton CID, said: 'I am glad that this group of abhorrent individuals have been handed substantial sentences and are off the streets of Bolton and where they belong, behind bars.
'I want to thank the victim-survivors that all came forward and put their trust in us to disclose the awful things that were done to them by these predatory men while they were trying to go about their lives as normal teenage girls should be able to do.'