• 5 years ago
• Posted in:Domestic violence, Misc. non-violent offences, Murder/ Manslaughter, Sexual Offences
• 0
• Author: melodie
• Tags: Adult living with parent, Aged 30-39, Autogynephilia, Category A prisoner, Claire Darbyshire, Complainant compelled to use defendant pronouns, Convicted 2013, Convicted 2016, Crime recorded as female, Distortion of female crime stats, Domestic violence, England, Female victim, HMP Belmarsh, Life sentence, London, Low tariff, Male victim, Media obscuring trans status, Multiple victims, Offended 2013, Offended 2015, Post-transition, pre-GRS, Repeat offender, Reported as woman, Restraining order, Stealing women's clothes, Suicide, Trans woman, Victim impact statement, Women's/child's underwear

Christopher/Claire Darbyshire, a violent male who identifies as a trans woman, was sentenced to life in prison for murder in March 2016. The victim was Darbyshire’s 67-year-old father Brian, who developed multiple sclerosis in 1995.

Claire Darbyshire, 36, suffocated Brian Darbyshire and then tried to claim they had agreed a suicide pact. However, Mr Darbyshire had not expressed any suicidal thoughts or complained about being in pain to nurses who visited him and Claire Darbyshire had previously complained to a friend about having to look after him.

Det Insp Sarah McConnell from the Met Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command said the unanimous verdict of murder “has been welcomed by the remaining family of Brian Darbyshire.”

Christopher changed their name to Claire by deed poll in 2008 after having breast surgery and had apparently lived as a trans woman for many years.

In July 2013, Darbyshire was issued with a five-year restraining order after pleading guilty to criminal damage for breaking into the home of ex-boss and friend Lisa Forde. While inside, Darbyshire “soiled” (i.e. masturbated into) a pair of Ms Forde’s knickers as well as trying on other items of clothing. (See also Gary Marie, Shane Turner, Sam Broadhurst, Roxanne Yeatman and Gina Smith for similar violations of women’s clothing for sexual gratification purposes.)

Speaking after the sentence for that offence, the victim said she felt ‘totally betrayed’ by her former friend and felt ‘unsafe’ because she didn’t know ‘how much further she could go’.

Claire Darbyshire was reported as a woman rather than a trans woman by multiple news outlets including ITV News, The Daily Mirror and Financial Times . Sentencing details from the Crown Court indicate that this murder will be recorded in female crime statistics rather than male, as Derbyshire’s gender is listed as female. In 2016, Ministry of Justice statistics reveal only 23 women were convicted of murder (compared to 266 men) in England and Wales, meaning that Darbyshire’s inclusion has effectively distorted and increased the female crime statistics in this category by around 5%. Likewise, Lauren Jeska‘s 2016 conviction for attempted murder will also be counted in female statistics.

Screengrab from lawpages.com

Photo via Met Police

Media reports:

BBC http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-35774143

Daily Mirror http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3465409/Carer-suffocated-father-67-lay-bedridden-multiple-sclerosis-convicted-murder.html#ixzz4cg0JBU4q

Barking & Dagenham Post http://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/news/crime-court/five_year_restraining_order_placed_on_dagenham_woman_who_soiled_friend_s_knickers_1_2259110