Sex-change fantasizer bailed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7623862.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A woman seeking a sex change sent an email describing "violent visions and fantasies" to a former support worker, the High Court has heard.

Homeless Jayden Whittall, 19, came to NI from England last year. Her alleged victim worked in a special school attended by the accused.

A defence lawyer said Ms Whittall stated that she never intended to act out the fantasies.

Among the bail conditions set was that the alleged victim is not contacted.

The court had heard that the accused, who is almost totally blind, set up a web page under the name of her alleged victim with her partner's face removed.

An email was also sent containing pictures of a leg and an arm with her name engraved on them.

The court was also told the accused had become estranged from her family and tried to take her own life.

The defence lawyer said the accused had taken the first step towards a gender change and had changed her name by deed poll.

"She has developed an obsession about the injured party which she cannot properly explain," said the judge Mr Justice McCloskey.

"She is evidently suffering from a serious but unspecified personality disorder of some kind. This is a very difficult and disturbing case."