Katie Wallis faces jail after pleading guilty to harassment campaign against Rebecca following bitter divorce – as court hears of gender transition impact on mental health
Britain’s first transgender MP dramatically admitted harassing her ex-wife yesterday after bombarding her with unwanted messages when she discovered she had a new boyfriend.
Katie Wallis, 41, formerly known as Jamie, changed her plea to guilty at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court in a case that has thrust the former Conservative politician back into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
The ex-MP for Bridgend admitted sending four unwanted phone messages and one voice note to Rebecca Wallis between February and March this year – but crucially, allegations that she drove past her former spouse’s home were dropped from the charge.
Standing in the dock, Wallis spoke only to confirm: “My preferred name is Katie, but my legal name is still Jamie.”
PRAGMATIC PLEA TO PROTECT FAMILY
Top London barrister Narita Bahra KC, defending, revealed her client had taken “the pragmatic view” to plead guilty rather than put their former partner and children through a trial.
He has, on balance, taken the pragmatic view, and recognises that he has previously had a public profile and taken the view that he can be rearraigned,” Ms Bahra told District Judge Rhys Williams.
The KC requested psychiatric assessment and pre-sentence reports ahead of sentencing on July 14, stating these would examine “what impact Wallis’s gender transition had had on their mental health during the period the offences occurred.
BITTER END TO 15-YEAR RELATIONSHIP
The court heard the couple had been together for more than 15 years before separating in 2020, with their divorce finalised in 2024. They have two daughters together, aged 11 and eight.
Prosecutor Simone Walsh revealed the harassment began after Rebecca informed Wallis she had entered a new relationship.
Following the victim informing the defendant of a new relationship the defendant’s behaviour became harassing in nature,” Ms Walsh told the court.
LATE ARRIVAL AT COURT
The hearing got off to a dramatic start when Wallis arrived late, with Ms Bahra explaining her client had “took haven in Tesco Express” after being followed by members of the press.
The barrister also revealed concerns about Wallis’s fitness, stating there were “significant mental health issues” and that her client was claustrophobic and would likely need breaks throughout proceedings.
PRESS BAN REQUEST REJECTED
In an unusual move, prosecutors asked for the press to be excluded from the trial over concerns that media coverage could lead to Rebecca Wallis suffering “difficulty at work” due to her job as a teacher.
However, Judge Williams refused this request on the grounds that open justice is a “fundamental” principle and due to a lack of evidence to support the application.
TRAILBLAZING POLITICAL CAREER
Wallis made history in March 2022 by becoming the first openly transgender MP in the House of Commons, though initially continued using the name Jamie and he/him pronouns “for the time being.
The announcement came after what Wallis described as years of struggle with gender dysphoria from a young age.
In a deeply personal statement at the time, Wallis revealed being blackmailed in April 2020 by an individual who had outed her to her father. The blackmailer was later prosecuted, pleaded guilty and sentenced to 2 years and 9 months imprisonment.
CHECKERED PAST
This is not Wallis’s first brush with the law. In July 2022, she was found guilty of failing to stop and report an accident after crashing her Mercedes into a lamppost in November 2021.
Witnesses described seeing Wallis flee the scene wearing “a black leather PVC mini-skirt, tights, dark shoes with a high heel and a pearl necklace.
Wallis later claimed to have “fled the scene” due to post-traumatic stress disorder after being raped in September 2021.
POLITICAL DOWNFALL
Once a rising star who defeated Labour’s Madeleine Moon to win Bridgend in 2019, Wallis chose not to contest the 2024 election amid mounting personal difficulties.
The seat returned to Labour, with Chris Elmore winning for the newly merged Bridgend and Ogmore constituency.
AWAITING SENTENCE
Wallis was released on bail and will return to Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on July 14 for sentencing.
The maximum penalty for harassment without violence is six months imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine, though courts often impose restraining orders to protect victims.
As Britain’s first transgender MP leaves court to await her fate, this latest chapter represents a spectacular fall from grace for a politician who once made history but now faces potential jail time for terrorising the woman she was married to for 15 years.
Image credit: Official portrait of Dr Jamie Wallis MP – © UK Parliament, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
