• 5 years ago
• Posted in:Domestic violence, Murder/ Manslaughter, Not proven/acquitted, Violent Offences
• 0
• Author: Thomas Gradgrind
• Tags: Aged 60-69, Bipolar disorder, Convicted 2015, Cross dresser, Crossdressing while offending, Delivery/bus driver, Detained without limit, Domestic violence, England, Female victim, Kent, Kent Police, Mental health, No photo, Offended 2014, Partner victim, Prison death, Psychiatric hospital, Safeguarding failure, Strangulation, Vulnerable victim

Keith/Gladys Solly, a violent male transvestite, killed his vulnerable, 58 year old female partner Yvonne Tapp. At trial at Maidstone Crown Court in July 2015, he was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. He was ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure mental health institution.

Solly, 62, strangled Ms Tapp to death at their home in Southborough in December 2014 then piled furniture on top her, before making multiple bizarre phone calls to emergency services, including singing down the line. When police arrived, Solly was wearing women’s clothing and told them “I am Gladys” and claimed that he believed the victim was possessed by the devil. Solly had met Ms Tapp while both were being treated at Priority House, a secure Adult Mental Health Unit at Maidstone Hospital and they had lived together for the past eight months.

In a statement read to the court after sentencing Ms Tapp’s daughter, Jennifer, claimed her mother was badly let down by mental health services and that she finds it very hard to live with what has happened. She said: “I don’t think they should have been living together. The Government promises care in the community but where is this care for my mum? Where are the safeguards to protect her?”

A former partner of Solly told the court he would have random outbursts and “explode over nothing” during their eight-year relationship, but testified that he was never violent to her.

In 2017, Solly, aged 65, collapsed and died while on a hike from the Trevor Gibbens secure psychiatric unit in Maidstone. His cause of death at the inquest in May 2017 was given as cardiomegaly and he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions including bipolar affective disorder and depression.

See this tag for other violent trans-identified males who have been convicted of strangulation offences. A complete list of trans individuals who have killed or attempted to kill others is available here.

Media reports

Kent Online https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/inquest-mentally-ill-man-collapsed-129862/ archive

Kent Online https://www.kentonline.co.uk/maidstone/news/killer-died-on-psychiatric-hospital-125011/ archive

Kent Online https://www.kentonline.co.uk/tunbridge-wells/news/man-found-not-guilty-of-39684 archive

Kent Messenger Maidstone https://www.pressreader.com/uk/kent-messenger-maidstone/20170810/281981787685114

BBC Southborough murder trial: Keith Solly found not guilty https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-33413798 archive

BBC Southborough death: Keith Solly in court on Yvonne Tapp murder charge https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-30378454 archive