Peter Laing / Paris Green

Peter Laing / Paris Green, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was jailed for a minimum of 18 years in 2013 for the torture and murder of Robert Shankland, 46, in Glenrothes, Fife.

Green, 22, and two associates lured Mr Shankland back to Green’s flat in March 2013 before tying him up and battering him to death after sexually assaulting him with a rolling pin. As he lay dying, the killers ate ham sandwiches paid for with the proceeds of selling their victim’s mobile phone. When caught, the three killers concocted a story denigrating the victim, claiming Mr Shankland had made sexual advances to each of them. However, the court heard Mr Shankland had no record of any sexual convictions at all and his family were distraught at claims he was involved in such behaviour.

Green was initially sent to HMP Cornton Vale, a women’s prison in Stirling. However, within 5 weeks Green was pursuing female prisoners sexually and so was moved to the women’s wing of HMP Edinburgh while awaiting gender reassignment surgery. Despite further warnings, Green continued to sexually pursue female prisoners and so was eventually moved to the men’s section of the jail in early 2017. See also Jessica Winfield who was segregated from female prisoners at HMP Bronzefield after reportedly sexually threatening them.

The victim’s sister claimed Green is taking advantage of the system, saying “The whole thing is a joke. We don’t believe he really wants a sex change. “He’s just trying to manipulate the system and the tax payer is footing the bill.”

In an article entitled “Robert Shankland: Trio sentenced for Fife flat murder”, the BBC only carried photographs of 2 of the 3 defendants (Kevin McDonagh and Dean Smith), also omitting Paris Green’s transgender status and former name of Peter Laing.

*Update November 2018*

Media reports indicate that Green will undergo gender reassignment surgery while in prison – The Telegraph reports Green is the first prisoner serving their sentence in Scotland to undergo the surgery and that Green sexually assaulted female prisoners in HMP Cornton Vale. The coverage also cites the security risk (and cost) inherent in guarding and transporting such a dangerous, violent sex offender to a private hospital in Brighton for treatment.

*Update February 2023*

Green featured in a Times article on 15 February 2023 in which Scottish prison authorities have been criticised for endangering vulnerable women after it emerged that four of the five transgender inmates held in the female prison estate are murderers. The fifth trans prisoner is believed to be child sex offender named Harryetta Thompson who has now been segregated from female prisoners after they discovered Thompson’s offending history.

Kate Coleman, of Keep Prisons Single Sex, said: “These are violent male offenders, all four of whom have caused significant problems in the female estate . . . including sexual exhibitionism (Stewart and Eastwood), harassment and stalking (Eastwood), sexual threats and inappropriate sexual relationships (Green) and violent assault (Young).”

*Update March 2025*

Green pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to culpable and reckless conduct after a female member of staff was injured in the women’s wing of HMP Edinburgh in August 2023. Green was initially charged with assaulting the victim but this charge was amended. Green was admonished by the court.

Susan Smith from For Women Scotland said: “This illustrates the abject idiocy of the notion that violent male prisoners convicted of murdering or assaulting other men will be restrained and gentle towards women. Paris Green is clearly a danger to all women in that unit and should have been removed at once.”

Scottish Conservative shadow equalities minister Tess White MSP said: “This appalling case exposes the recklessness of the SNP’s gender self-ID policy becoming embedded within Scotland’s prison system.

“Female prison staff should not have to face the threat of violence from any prisoner while doing their job, least of all one born a male.

“The public will rightly question how this violent criminal was then let off under the SNP’s soft-touch justice system.

Alba Party MSP, Ash Regan, also demanded answers as to why Green was housed in the women’s wing of HMP Edinburgh and for “urgent clarity” as to whether or not Green is still imprisoned next to women. In 2023, the Ministry of Justice introduced new rules which prevent male prisoners who identify as transgender being held in women’s prisons if they have been convicted of violent or sexual offences.

This post details all the assaults that trans-identified violent male prisoners have perpetrated against other prisoners, prison officers and police officers.

Photo via Daily Record