A teenager was stabbed, punched and kicked in a transphobic assault planned on social media app Snapchat.
The victim still lives “in fear” and find it “difficult to trust people” nearly one year on from the attack. A court heard the 18-year-old woman was knifed and beaten after she was subjected to transphobic slurs at Harrow Leisure Centre in northwest London, where she had been invited to a roller disco by a group of youths.
But these turned on her after one of the group was told the woman was trans after having a sexual relationship with her. The gang led the victim into a car park, creating a ruse to “beat her up”, the sentencing hearing was told.
And Summer Betts-Ramsey, 20, Bradley Harris, 18, Camron Osei, 18, Shiloh Hindes, 18, and a 17-year-old boy now potentially face jail after admitting causing grievous bodily harm with intent. They will be sentenced at the Old Bailey later this week.
Betts-Ramsey has also admitted possession of a knife, and a 17-year-old girl has admitted robbing the woman’s handbag after the attack, and possession of a class B drug.
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The victim was attacked outside Harrow Leisure Centre in northwest London
The teenager has “thick scars” as a result of the injuries sustained in the attack, which happened on February 10 last year. In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said: “I find it difficult to trust people. I’m always in fear of leaving my house. I never thought someone could have so much hatred towards me.”
The woman said she had suffered panic attacks since the incident, and has struggled to sleep, adding that she fears she might not be able to work as a model thanks to her injuries.
The court heard the woman was with Harris at his house in January last year, and while there, a mutual friend called Harris telling him she was “trans”. Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, said: “Having been attacked in the past because of her transgender identity, she denied it.” She and Harris then kissed, and she performed oral sex on him, the court heard.
Soon afterwards, another friend told Harris that the woman was a “tranny”, the prosecutor said. She denied it again, but when Harris, from Harrow, picked up a knife and said, “I’ll stab you if you lie”, she felt intimidated and admitted that she was transgender before Harris told her to leave.
When Harris told the group she had lied to him, they turned on her, Ms Heer said. The Snapchat group, of which the youths were a part, descended into arguing, and Betts-Ramsey threatened to stab the woman.
When the woman asked the group when they would be next meeting, Harris responded: “(I’m) not your mate… you tranny”. Other members of the group encouraged the woman to arrange a fight with Betts-Ramsey, but Ms Heer said it was “all a ruse” to attack her.
Phone evidence revealed that during a call, Betts-Ramsey, of Barnet, north London, told someone: “I have to go to Harrow to beat up some… a f****** tranny bro.”
On February 10, the woman left her home, believing she was going to a roller-skating event with the group, the court heard. Betts-Ramsey, Harris, Osei, from Tadworth, Surrey, Hindes, from Southwark, south London and the 17-year-old boy were all dressed in dark clothing, with masks and hoods, and were waiting for her at the bus stop.
Once at a nearby car park, she was “immediately attacked”, and she had no time to say anything or do anything to defend herself, the court was told. Once she was on the ground, Betts-Ramsey took out a knife and stabbed towards her at least 14 times.
As Betts-Ramsey was stabbing her, the others continued to attack her with kicks and punches for about 45 seconds before the group left the scene, the prosecutor said.
Members of the public helped the woman, and an ambulance was called. When they arrived, ambulance staff found she had suffered a number of stab wounds and had a weak pulse, and she was taken to hospital, the court heard.
Members of the group bragged about the assault later, posting footage on social media, Ms Heer said. The 17-year-old boy sent the woman a message which said “Ur lookin sweet”, the court was told.
That night, a message was sent to Betts-Ramsey which said: “stabbing a girl cus she’s trans… its disgusting”, to which Betts-Ramsey replied: “IT deserved it”.
Judge Philip Katz, KC, is due to sentence the gang at the Old Bailey later this week.