• 7 years ago
• Posted in:Assault/Wounding, Domestic violence, Murder/ Manslaughter, Possession of weapons, Stalking/harrassment/threats, Violent Offences
• 0
• Author: melodie
• Tags: Abused as a child, Alcohol, Convicted 2002, Extreme violence, Gay victim, Gender issues cited as mitigation, Lenient sentence, Little or no media coverage, Male victim, Multiple victims, Narcissistic rage, Neighbour victim, No remorse, Offended 2000s, Offended 2001, Post-SRS, Post-transition, Repeat offender, Trans woman, Vulnerable victim

Samantha / Simon Read, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was convicted of manslaughter at Reading Crown Court after stabbing Simon Spicer in the groin in 2001, reportedly following a row about cider. Read was sentenced to six years in prison in 2002.

Read, 33, had married Mr Spicer in the Dominican Republic and was living with both the victim and another man named Dean Walsh – both of whom were alcohol dependent – in what was described as a “love triangle”. 

The court heard that Read woke Mr Walsh and told him of the attack before dragging the lifeless victim towards the back door saying: “If you’re going to die you can die outside.” Read later tried to blame Mr Walsh for stabbing Mr Spicer.

Additional evidence of Read’s previous violence was ruled inadmissable so was not revealed to the jury – both Mr Spicer and Mr Walsh had previously been threatened with knives and subjected to violence – and just days before killing Mr Spicer, a “raging” Read held a knife inches away from a neighbour’s throat and was abusive and aggressive while complaining about noise from his stereo.

The judge remarked at sentencing, after psychiatric reports stated that the defendant did not have a mental disorder, that Read’s lack of remorse was compounded by the “dishonest and ruthless” claim that Mr Walsh had killed Mr Spicer.

Image via GetReading.co.uk

Media reports

Get Reading http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/transsexual-killer-jailed-six-years-4274429 archive

Get Reading http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/sex-swap-wife-guilty-husbands-killing-4275145