• 2 years ago
• Posted in:Arson, Drugs offences, Misc. non-violent offences, Violent Offences
• 0
• Author: Trans Crime
• Tags: Aged 20-29, Beard, Blackburn, Blamed gender ID, Convicted 2020, Convicted 2021, Drug misuse, England, Female prison, Female victim, Gender issues cited as mitigation, Get Out Of Jail Free card, HMP Styal, Homelessness, Lancashire, Lancashire Constabulary, Mental health, Offended 2020, Repeat offender, Simran Khan, Suicidal thoughts, Suspended sentence, Trans man, TV documentary

Simran Khan, a violent female who identifies as a transgender man, was convicted at Preston Crown Court in 2020 of arson reckless as to whether life was endangered. Khan was then further convicted the following year of drug offences, having been caught dealing and in possession of cannabis, cocaine and heroin a short time after avoiding jail for the arson.

Khan, then aged 22, had set a fire in a residential unit in Blackburn and fire crews had to rescue a woman who was in the building and suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. The judge imposed a 22-month suspended prison sentence for reckless arson, with the requirement that Khan stay in a residential home in Leeds, in order to ‘get help with the struggles he was facing with his transition’ from a transgender clinic in the city. Just three months later, police caught Khan dealing drugs in Blackburn.

At sentencing, Judge Newell said “One has to say, to get 22 months suspended for quite a serious arson, I was really sticking my neck out. I’ll be blunt about it. To have it thrown back in your face within a few weeks doesn’t bode well for the future.” He then continued “We worked very hard last summer, we had reports, made enquiries with specialist units and the like.” “We had spoken to the manager of a home and they had a specialist room. It is very difficult for any residential unit to take people who have an arson conviction.” The judge sentenced Khan to three years and eight months in prison.

In February 2023, Khan appeared in episode 2 of a BBC TV documentary about the parole service. See also Claire Darbyshire, a trans-identified male murderer who appeared in an ITV documentary about HMP Belmarsh.

Media reports

Lancashire Telegraph https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/18480312.prison-warning-arsonist-recklessly-set-fire-blackburn-flats/ archive

The Bolton News https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19128086.blackburn-criminal-struggling-gender-identity-jailed-throwing-away-judges-help/ archive

The Sun https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21531286/who-is-simran-khan-and-where-is-he-now/ archive

BBC i-Player https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001jpms/parole-series-1-episode-2