Transsexual begs court not to be locked up with men

A transsexual who admitted cheating £12,000 from the benefits system pleaded with a court: don’t send me to a man’s jail. Janet Williams failed to declare a string of casual jobs while claiming incapacity benefit.

Oldham magistrates heard that Williams was overpaid a total of £11,898. But the 50-year-old, who represented herself, told the court she was a pre-operative transsexual who had lived as a woman for 31 years.



She said she suffered mental health problems as a result of a pulmonary embolism – a blood clot in the vessels which connect to the lungs – in 2003. She asked the court to impose a community sentence rather than sending her to jail – before asking that, if she was imprisoned, it was with women rather than men.

The case was adjourned for probation reports and is due for sentencing on June 14. Joe Farquhar, chairman of the bench, warned Williams that falsely claiming benefits was ‘always’ a serious crime.