By Samantha Jones-
A double rapist who changed gender while waiting to stand trial has been jailed for eight years. Isla Bryson was jailed after she attacked two women in Clydebank and Glasgow in 2016 and 2019 while known as Adam Graham.
The presiding judge said Bryson posed a high risk of reoffending and would be supervised for three years after release.
The case sparked a heated debate over whether Bryson should be housed in a male or a female prison after transitioning from a man to a woman.
Bryson, 31, was initially remanded to a women’s jail after being found guilty, but was subsequently moved to a men’s facility following an uproar about the anomaly of integrating an originally male rapist into a female prison on the grounds of her gender transition.
Concerns about the safety of any women held alongside a transgender sex offender in a female jail later came to the fore, prompting the Scottish Justice department to issue a comprehensive statement elaborating on their professional stance on the controversial matter.
The case ultimately led to an urgent review and a change in policy which will see all newly-convicted or remanded transgender prisoners initially placed in jails according to their birth sex to avoid any complications.
The trial heard that Bryson, from Clydebank, had preyed on vulnerable women who he met online.
Bryson committed the crimes in 2016 and 2019 while known as Adam Graham
Passing sentence, Lord Scott told Bryson: “You see yourself as the victim in this case. But you are not.”
The judge said reports suggested Bryson had a set of neuro-developmental disorders.
“Your vulnerability is no excuse at all for what you did to these two women in 2016 and 2019,” he said.
“Regardless of your own vulnerability, in a period of just under three years, you raped two women who can both be regarded as vulnerable.”
Lord Scott said Bryson had preyed on his victims because of their vulnerability and raped them in their own homes. Bryson’s estranged wife Shonna Graham said the focus should be on the victims
He added that the rapist – who continues to deny committing the offences – would be placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Bryson’s estranged wife, Shonna Graham, said the focus should be on the victims.
“The way I see it is he is a man, he done the crime as a man… he should do the time in a man’s jail,” she said.
Ms Graham said she had met Adam Bryson in 2015 and they married the following year.
The 31-year-old said there had never been any suggestion during their relationship that her husband wanted to become a woman.
“You can’t do a crime as a man then want to transition once you’ve been charged with it. That’s how you know it’s all a big joke to him.”
Ms Graham alleged that Bryson had attempted to rape her and stabbed her while they were together.
She was also angry that the person she knew as Adam Bryson had then used the name Adam Graham.
“He took my last name so he could get away with his crimes, the way I see it,” she added.
“I hope he rots in jail. I hope the victims can put this evil person behind them.”