A transgender schoolgirl was stabbed nine times at a party “in revenge for lying about her gender” in an ambush by a gang of youths.
The victim, who was 18 at the time, was lured to a car park in north-west London where the group punched, kicked, and stamped on her, before she was knifed repeatedly by a teenage girl.
The aspiring model, who cannot be named, was invited to join a Snapchat group to arrange a trip to a roller disco event at Harrow Leisure Centre on February 10 last year. When she arrived, she was “immediately attacked”.
Prosecutors said she was attacked as revenge for performing a sex act on one of the teenagers who had not realised she was transgender.
Bradley Harris, 18 and Summer Betts-Ramsey, 19 were part of the group that attacked the victim
Met Police
The 45-second pre-planned assault, which was shared on social media, was described as “vicious” by Judge Philip Katz KC who said it had “elements of transphobia and revenge”.
Summer Betts-Ramsey, 19 at the time, kicked the victim at least seven times before she brought out a knife, stabbing the 18-year-old in the nose, thigh, hand and buttocks.
Meanwhile, other teenagers beat her with a pair of roller skates and boots. They then stole her bag and fled the scene, leaving the transgender teenager in a pool of blood.
The victim told the court she now finds it “difficult to trust people”, and the attack has left her with “thick scars”.
She only survived the attack after a member of the public intervened and called emergency services. The victim was treated by paramedics in the car park, before being taken to St Mary’s Hospital.
Betts-Ramsey, Bradley Harris, 18, Camron Osei, 18, Shiloh Hindes, 18, and a 17-year-old boy have admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
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When the victim arrived at Harrow Leisure Centre on February 10 last year, she was ‘immediately attacked’
Met Police
The 45-second pre-planned assault, which was shared on the social media platform, was called “vicious” by Judge Philip Katz KC
Met Police
Additionally, Betts-Ramsey has admitted possession of a knife, and a 17-year-old girl has admitted robbing the woman’s handbag after the attack, as well as possession of a class B drug.
“The evidence suggests that the attack was committed in revenge because the complainant had lied to Bradley Harris about her transgender identity,” Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said.
Harris invited the victim to his home on January 28 where she “performed oral sex upon him”.
The court was told that due to previous attacks in the past due to her transgender identity, the victim denied that she was transgender after one of Harris’ friends questioned her on the phone.
Unbeknown to the victim, footage of the sex act was recorded and then shared on Snapchat.
When another friend of Harris’ said that the victim was a “tranny”, Harris picked up a knife and said “I’ll stab you if you lie”, the court heard. The 18-year-old admitted she was and she was instructed to leave.
In the following days, Harris recruited Betts-Ramsey to “beat up” the victim, and the attack was plotted.
Phone evidence revealed that during a call, Betts-Ramsey told someone: “I have to go to Harrow to beat up some… a f****** tranny bro.”
Body camera footage of Betts-Ramsey getting arrested
Met Police
Believing she was meeting the group at a roller disco, the victim headed to the venue by bus.
“When she arrived, she was immediately attacked,” Heer said. “The victim recalls that she had no time to say anything or do anything to defend herself.
“The assault was filmed by others from the snapchat group on their mobile phones. These videos were then posted on social media.”
In an impact statement, the victim said: “I have become depressed and am always in fear leaving the house.
“The incident has resulted in thick scars on my body which saddens me every time I see them – I feel like I am the one living a life sentence due to them.
“In the past I have experienced animosity towards me being transgender but I never thought anyone would have so much hatred for me and want to assault me in the way they did.”
Judge Katz sentenced Betts-Ramsey to eight-and-a-half years at a young offender institution. While Harris, Hindes and Osei were each told to serve three years in detention for their roles.
The 17-year-old boy who cannot be named was given a youth rehabilitation order, a three-month curfew and told not to enter Harrow or contact any of the other defendants.
A 17-year-old girl, who was 16 at the time, admitted stealing the victim’s handbag during the attack and was given a supervision order for 12 months having already spent a year in custody.
