A transgender woman has been found guilty today (January 23) of raping two women before she transitioned.
Isla Bryson, 31, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, met her victims online under her deadname, Adam Graham, with prosecutors saying she “preyed” on vulnerable women.
The High Court in Glasgow found Bryson guilty of raping two women – one in Clydebank 2016 and one in Drumchapel in 2019 – following a six-day trial.
Bryson denied both charges and said she “would never hurt another human being”.
Her defence added that she is now “vulnerable” and was “in no way a predatory male” at the time that the crimes were committed.
Bryson, 31, told the court in evidence that she had known she was transgender when she was as young as four but only made the decision to transition when she was 29.
She added that she is currently taking hormones and seeking surgery as part of her gender reassignment process.
Bryson said in 2016, when the first rape was reportedly committed, that she was “struggling with my sexuality and having issues emotionally.”
Edward Targowski KC, defending Bryson, said the three main witnesses in the case were “vulnerable”, adding: “That includes Isla Bryson.”
Mr Targowski said Bryson met her two victims separately via the internet and said they “are not the sort of people who go to pubs to socialise”.
He told the jury: “All witnesses used social media to find companionship, they use social media to make connections.”
Speaking of Bryson’s gender reassignment, Mr Targowski added: “If you accept that evidence, that she is transitioning, that she is aiming to continue on that path to becoming female gender, that goes a long way to acquitting her of these charges.”
The defence added that in addition to her recent transition, Bryson’s marriage had been breaking down in 2016 – around the time she met her first alleged victim.
‘If you look at the circumstances, you do not have a predatory male – you have somebody who is vulnerable,” Mr Targowski said.
“Her (Bryson’s) evidence is a complete denial of rape, asserts that all sex was consenting.
“Where I do take issue with the trial and advocate depute is that there is no way Isla Bryson could be described as a predatory male.
“This is not the sort of case we are in.”
However, advocate depute John Keenan said in his closing speech on Monday (January 23) that there was “clear evidence” that Bryson’s victims had not consented during their encounters with the defendant.
Using masculine pronouns to refer to Bryson in spite of her gender identity, he told the court of one of the incidents: “He (Bryson) was too strong and she couldn’t push him off, she said no, loudly, on multiple occasions.
“She continued to try and push him off but he said no.”
In a pre-recorded video, the alleged victim, 30, said she was raped for about 30 minutes while she was in bed with Bryson at her mother’s home in 2016.
“All I said was ‘no’ over and over and over again,” she said.
“At the time I was so scared. Sick to the stomach. I just didn’t know what was going on.”
Referencing the second alleged victim, Mr Keenan told the 15-person jury: “There is clear evidence from the complainer there was not consent.
“She told the accused to stop, that she couldn’t breathe, that she didn’t want to. The accused did not stop.”
Bryson had been out on bail but was remanded in custody by judge Lord Scott today.
Lord Scott deferred sentencing on Bryson until February 28 in Stirling.
