Mario Kerr / Lydie Banot

Mario Kerr/ Lydie Banot, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was convicted of blackmail and jailed for eight years in 1996.

Kerr/ Banot, 41, tried to extort five million pounds from the London store Harrods by claiming to be acting for a terror gang of former police and army officers and threatening to release rats in the store’s food hall, set off fire sprinklers, spread poison in its restaurants and place fleas in the clothes department.

Harrods had been chosen as Kerr / Banot held a grudge against a beauty concession outlet in the store which the defendant alleged had causing scarring during electrolysis for facial hair removal.

The court was told the blackmail attempt was ‘a cry for help after suffering years of pain’ following botched gender reassignment surgery in Switzerland.

Photo via Alamy

Media reports

The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sex-swap-woman-jailed-for-harrods-threat-1337782.html  archive

Daily Mail (archived) https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-111423648.html

Daily Record (archived) https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-61260374.html