A transgender woman who was battered to the ground and subjected to a chilling death threat says the justice system has “let down” both her and the Trans community in Scotland after the thugs responsible avoided prison sentences.
Aria Welsh, who was Miss Transgender UK 2019, said her life had been “turned upside down” by the vicious and unprovoked transphobic assault in Dunfermline.
Ceiryn Meade and Mark Jeffrey, both from Rosyth, bottled and repeatedly stamped on Ms Welsh and and left her bleeding on the ground during the shocking incident in February 2019.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard as they battered her, the pair said they would “kill her” because they “would not accept transgender individuals in their home town”.
Sheriff Susan Duff acknowledged they had been motivated by transgender prejudice.
She sentenced the pair to curfews, social work supervision and unpaid work.
Still suffering effects of assault
Ms Welsh said: “This incident turned my life upside down and I am devastated that the justice system has let down not only me but the Trans community in Scotland.
“I’m still suffering from the effects of the incident through my mental health, mild brain damage and breathing issues and was devastated to lose the once in a lifetime chance to tour the UK as Miss Transgender UK.
“I am incredibly grateful for the love and support system that I’ve built around me, which is the only thing which has kept me going through the years that this has been held up in the courts.
“There is no way to recover the time which I’ve lost in my life and I don’t feel community service is equal to assault and a hate crime.”
‘Let’s put this thing down’
Ms Welsh, who is originally from Crieff but lives in Perth, won the title of Miss Transgender UK 2019.
As part of her bid, she fundraised for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS), a charity close to her heart after her little brother was stillborn in 2003.
Ms Welsh recalled how she and a friend had been speaking to Meade and Jeffrey in a Dunfermline pub earlier on the night of the attack.
She she stayed out socialising with others after her friend went home at about 8pm and she bought a takeaway in Bridge Street at around midnight.
She then walked to the Kirkgate area to get a taxi but saw Jeffrey and Meade standing at a doorway to some flats and approached them.
They all agreed to go into the block together but the three of them were not given entry to a flat inside.
Ms Welsh told The Courier she recalled the pair both looking at each other immediately before launching their attack.
As she tried to protect her face from multiple blows, she said she heard them saying: “This is what you get for being a tranny in our town. Let’s put this thing down.”
Ms Welsh said she then heard them saying “let’s kill it,” which prompted her to try to get away as she feared for her life.
Arrested nearby
Procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus told the city’s sheriff court a witness heard a “thumping noise” from the stairwell, coupled with the sound of laughter and a female crying, while a witness also saw the woman being stamped on “at least three times”.
The court heard the pair fled the close, leaving their victim injured and bleeding on the concrete floor.
Residents came to her aid and she was taken into a flat and police were contacted.
Officers saw blood on Ms Welsh’s face and hands when they arrived and she was able to give them a description of her attackers.
Shortly before 1am, police arrested Meade and Jeffrey at a nearby takeaway.
The court heard Ms Welsh suffered multiple bruises and swelling to her face and body and a red line around her torso area.
Ms Welsh also said she still suffers from breathing problems because of damage done to her nose.
Psychological impact
Ms Welsh lost her confidence in the aftermath of the attack and was forced to cancel a UK tour as Miss Transgender UK 2019, which including attending various pride events and going into schools to promote an anti-bullying message.
The 30-year-old also revealed she had been training in a management role for pizza chain Domino’s and was forced to give this up.
Her fiancée, Peter Rowantree, who has supported her throughout her recovery, said she still suffers from night terrors about her attackers and often becomes anxious when she sees a group of men approaching her in public.
Ms Welsh said: “Basically, I did not leave the house for months.
“They (medics) gave me so many different painkillers and anti-inflammatories and then obviously I got to speak to a psychiatrist and they put me on medication.
“Sometimes I am still scared to go out and it’s not like I’m scared by who it is but the ‘what if?’
“Scotland is meant to be one of the most LGBTQ+ countries in the world.
“I want to make sure no one ever has to go through anything like what I had to go through.
“I am a strong independent woman but that broke me.”
Ms Welsh said she is slowly but surely regaining her confidence.
Sentencing reasoning
Meade, 22, and Jeffrey, 33, admitted acting together to assault Ms Welsh by repeatedly punching and kicking her on the body and striking her on the head with a bottle, causing her to fall to the ground.
They then repeatedly punched, kicked and stamped on her head and body all to her injury.
The offence was aggravated by prejudice relating to transgender identity under section 2 of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009.
Defence lawyers for Meade and Jeffrey argued in court their clients were remorseful and bear no antipathy towards transgender people.
In her sentencing remarks, Sheriff Duff described the offence as a “nasty, vicious, unprovoked attack” on a transgender person which would have been terrifying for her.
The sheriff said that Meade has 13 previous convictions since the age of 18 and has previously served time in detention.
Sheriff Duff told Meade her objective is to see young people alter their conduct and to take the help they are given.
Meade was told to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work and placed on an eight-month restriction of liberty order between 8pm and 7am.
He was also given a supervision order for two years.
Jeffrey was told to carry out 216 hours of unpaid work and will be subject to a restriction of liberty order from 8pm to 7am for 117 days, as well as a supervision order for 12 months.
He had also admitted a charge of breaching bail conditions to stay within his home address during curfew hours in April 2019.
