A transgender woman battered by a pair of Fife thugs heard them saying they would “kill her” as they did not want transgender people in their town.
Ceiryn Meade and Mark Jeffrey repeatedly stamped on Aria Welsh and smashed a bottle over her head during the vicious and unprovoked attack outside a block of flats in Dunfermline’s Kirkgate.
The city’s sheriff court heard the louts had been speaking to Ms Welsh and her friend in a pub earlier that night and became aware she was transgender during the conversation.
Procurator fiscal depute Laura McManus said Ms Welsh stayed out 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 went over to them.
They all agreed to go into the block together but the three of them were not given entry to a flat inside.
Battered victim to the ground
The fiscal depute said: “Ms Welsh then made her way down stairs to exit the flats.
“Without provocation she was struck and fell to the ground within the common close.
“Both accused, Meade and Jeffrey, began to repeatedly punch and kick and stamp on Ms Welsh’s head and body.
“She was struck by a bottle, which smashed over her whilst she heard that they would ‘kill’ her, as they would not accept transgender individuals in their home town.”
Ms McManus said a witness heard a “thumping noise” from the stairwell, coupled with the sound of laughter and a female crying, while a witness saw the woman being stamped on “at least three times”.
The court heard the attackers left 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 her 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.
Both deny transgender hatred
Ms Welsh suffered multiple bruises and swelling to her face and body and a red line around her torso area.
Meade and Jeffrey previously 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 incident took place on February 20 2019 and was aggravated by prejudice relating to transgender identity under section 2 of the Offences (Aggravation by Prejudice) (Scotland) Act 2009.
Meade’s defence lawyer Zander Flett stressed his client, who is 22, was 19 at the time of the attack but acknowledged it was an extremely unpleasant incident.
The solicitor said Meade, of Rosyth’s Boyle Drive, is remorseful for what happened and puts it down to drinking too much alcohol.
He said he bears no antipathy towards anyone who identifies as transgender.
Jeffrey’s defence agent, Brian Black, said his client, who is 33, has no bad feelings towards his victim based on them being transgender and pointed to the fact they had been happily socialising together that night.
The solicitor said: “He also accepts there’s no reasonable explanation of why he got involved in the assault in relation to the complainer.”
Mr Black said Jeffrey, of Elder Place in Rosyth, was anxious to avoid a custodial sentence and would be hopeful of regaining employment in the catering industry given his experience working as a chef.
Sentencing
Sheriff Susan Duff told Meade and Jeffrey that this was 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 she had thought very carefully about the sentence and that 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.
‘Disappointed’
Scarlet Skylar Rae, chairperson of Perthshire Pride and friend of Aria Welsh, said: “After the court case being delayed for years, we are incredibly disappointed to hear today’s sentencing results and justice has not been done.
“Aria is an incredibly prominent member of the Perthshire LGBTQ+ Community and inspired many through her successful Miss Transgender UK Competition.
“As a friend, I’ve seen her struggle through her recovery after this assault.
“As a charity, Perthshire Pride have worked hard to support the LGBTQ+ Community and we are saddened that in 2022 Hate Crimes still exist and we endeavour to support the Trans Community.”
