Joanne Spencer (Darren/Jo Whitehouse)
Joanne Spencer/Darren Whitehouse/Jo Whitehouse, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was convicted of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered, making threats to kill and possession of an offensive weapon in 2008.
Spencer, aged 47 and from Wakefield, was given an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) at Leeds Crown Court and ordered to serve at least three years before being considered for parole and was warned release “may well be many, many years hence”.
The court heard Spencer had attacked an elderly woman living nearby then the defendant set fire to their council property and had to be dragged out by emergency services and sectioned under the Mental Health Act. Spencer was wearing camouflage clothing and a gas mask to order to “die in the flames rather than from the fumes”.
Spencer later returned to the property to collect belongings and threatened to kill a taxi driver and racially abused him while brandishing a large hunting knife at head height. The man was left terrified and police had to use a Taser to subdue and arrest Spencer.
After reviewing Spencer’s long history of violent offences, including arson, a previous stabbing and using a 12-inch metal tube to beat someone around the head, the judge commented that “When you feel you have lost control of your life, you drink heavily and in drink you commit serious offences of violence.” The defence submitted in mitigation that “She has extremely deep-rooted difficulties relating to her gender and to failed surgery.”
*Update 2018*
A Prison Ombudsman report revealed that Spencer/Whitehouse died aged 57 of natural causes (stroke) on 9 February 2018 in hospital, having been transferred from HMP Hull. The report describes the prisoner as “female”.
The report reveals that when first sentenced, Spencer/Whitehouse was housed in the female estate (both HMP New Hall and HMP Askham Grange), but then (on the prisoner’s request) was transferred to a male prison (HMP Hull) under the name Darren Whitehouse in 2016 “because she wished to revert to being male”. This followed a period of “living as a man” as mandated by the gender clinic where the prisoner was referred in 2014.
In late 2017 Spencer/Whitehouse decided “she wanted to remain female” and exhibited “extremely challenging” behaviour (verbally abusive to staff and other prisoners, public nudity and damaging property) while waiting for a transfer to be finalised to the female section of HMP Peterborough. Spencer/Whitehouse had been diagnosed with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, learning difficulties, depression and various endocrine issues related to the different hormones prescribed when transitioning between identifying as male and female.
Photo via Nothing To Do With Arbroath
Media reports
BBC Jail term for gas mask arsonist http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7664164.stm archive
Metro https://metro.co.uk/2008/10/10/transsexual-arsonist-faces-long-jail-term-21735/ archive
Yorkshire Evening Post http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/sex-change-rambo-arsonist-jailed-1-2194354
Yorkshire Evening Post http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/sex-change-arsonist-faces-long-jail-term-1-2291058
Wakefield Express http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/transsexual-locked-up-indefinitely-for-death-threat-and-arson-1-967097
Wakefield Express http://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/news/knife-threat-led-to-violent-rampage-1-967085