• 7 years ago
• Posted in:Assault/Wounding, Possession of weapons, Racially aggravated offences, Violent Offences
• 0
• Author: Thomas Gradgrind
• Tags: Aged 30-39, Brought toy/animal to court, Convicted 2000, England, Female victim, Gender issues cited as mitigation, Hammer attack, Homophobia, Joanna White, John White, Kent, Law enforcement victim, Lenient sentence, Mental health, Military/Police/Prison officer, Multiple victims, Offended 2000, Offending coincided with transitioning, PoC victim, Post-transition, pre-GRS, Racism, Relationship break-up, Trans woman, Weapon possession justified because of appearance/trans status

John / Joanna White, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was found guilty of assaulting four police officers at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court in Kent in 2000. 

White was charged with racially aggravated harassment and being in breach of a conditional discharge for assaulting four police officers. White appeared in court to plead guilty in December 2000 wearing an evening gown adorned with toys and admitted hurling racial abuse at a black busker.

The court heard that White, 37, attacked the four police officers after being seen in a pub with a hammer and two screwdrivers -apparently carried in case of ambush by SAS men who White thought would attack comrades if they believed they were gay. White hurled the police officers around like “rag dolls”and even being sprayed with CS gas had no effect. It took six police officers to carry the defendant to a police van.

White was conditionally discharged and bound over for two years and also ordered to pay costs of GBP 150 and compensation to WPC Faye Martin of GBP 27.50 to pay for a new watch. The magistrate said: “The court has convicted you of the charges but looked at all the circumstances and decided not to punish you.”

White, a 6ft 2in ex-SAS soldier, made animal noises and wiggled a koala toy towards police in court. When told by a barrister to keep quiet, White replied: “It wasn’t me. It was my koala.” (See also the trans-identified male sex offender Jorven Seren who was admonished for thumbsucking and bringing a doll to court.)

White told the court “I thought police knew I was gay and living with a drag queen. I am in the middle of a sex change.” “I was very nervous. I was having a rough time. I’d just left the Army and my marriage was splitting up.”

After being conditionally discharged, White claimed they were forbidden from commenting.

Asked if the koala had any comment, White said: “No, he can’t say anything either.”

Photo via Alamy

Media reports:

Daily Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1377219/Transvestite-ex-soldier-in-racist-attack.html  archive

Daily Record 22.03.2000 (archived online) ‘I thought my old SAS pals were out to kill me; Transvestite is cleared‘  archive

The Mirror (archived online) https://www.thefreelibrary.com/FREE+AS+A+BIRD%3B+Sex+swap+SAS+soldier+cheats+jail+term+after+hammering…-a060819234  archive

Alamy http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-courts-soldier-crossdresser-106330609.html

Daily Record (archived online) https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60884997.html