• 7 years ago
• Posted in:Arson, Assault/Wounding, Violent Offences
• 0
• Author: melodie
• Tags: Aged 20-29, Alcohol, Charlene Blundell, Committed crimes to access SRS, Convicted 1999, England, London, Looked after child, Male prison, Male victim, Michael O'Neill, Narcissistic rage, Offended 1998, Offending coincided with transitioning, Post-transition, pre-GRS, Prostitution, Repeat offender, Trans woman, Victim attacked after refusal to pay for SRS, Vulnerable victim

Silhouette image via Wikimedia Commons

Michael O’Neill / Charlene Blundell, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was convicted of arson recklessly endangering life in 1999 and sentenced to 42 months in prison. The arson attack was perpetrated against a friend, Mr Mark Falla, whom O’Neill /Blundell claimed had refused to pay for the rest of the defendant’s gender reassignment treatment  – see also Karen Lawson who killed a boyfriend who similarly refused to pay for surgery.

O’Neill / Blundell had apparently met up with Mr Falla, in April 1998 and they returned to a flat where he was staying for drinks. After a while, Mr Falla blacked out, although he was not drunk; O’Neill/ Blundell had spiked his drink and then started fires at five different points in the flat in Brockley, south London. The court was told O’Neill / Blundell was ‘going through a sex change and was at the pre-operative stage’ and had one aim – ‘to be completely transformed into a woman and settle down to an ordinary life’.

Court documents available here indicate that O’Neill / Blundell may have given false evidence in expectation of receiving compensation money which contaminated the prosecution case against a member of staff at a residential school who was on trial for sexual offences. The documents also indicate that O’Neill / Blundell had “many conviction for dishonesty and arson, and paid for sex-changes procedures by prostitution.”

Media reports

Birmingham Post (archived) https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60466858.html

Birmingham Evening Mail (archived) https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-17607643.html