Ex-Tory MP given community order and fine for harassing ex-wife

Stephen FaircloughBBC NewsWales Information ServiceWallis was sentenced to a 12-month group order involving 12 days of rehabilitation activityA former Conservative MP has been given a group order and positive for harassing her ex-wife. Jamie Wallis, who’s now referred to as Katie Wallis and makes use of feminine pronouns, represented Bridgend from 2019 to 2024.At an earlier listening to, the 41-year-old from Butetown in Cardiff denied harassing Rebecca Wallis, now referred to as Rebecca Lovell, between 14 February and 21 March.Wallis was sentenced to a 12-month group order involving 12 days of rehabilitation exercise and fined £500 plus £650 prices and a £114 surcharge.A restraining order was additionally imposed for 12 months to forestall contact with Rebecca Lovell.The previous MP made undesirable cellphone calls, despatched undesirable messages and a voice be aware.Cardiff Magistrates Court docket heard that the messages contained abusive language whereas accusing Rebecca Lovell of being “imply” and searching for to search out out particulars about her new relationship.One message complained about entry to Wallis’s household, one other demanded £350,000 inside quarter-hour and wished to make sure that Wallis’s former spouse and others “by no means have a contented second once more”.Wallis, who was the primary MP to overtly start the method of gender transitioning, beforehand advised the courtroom: “My identify is Katie Wallis, however my authorized identify is Jamie Wallis”. Athena Image AgencyKatie Wallis admited harassing Rebecca Wallis, now referred to as Rebecca Lovell, earlier this yearDistrict Decide Rhys Williams requested Wallis’s barrister how he ought to handle the defendant. Defending, Narita Bahra KC advised the courtroom that Wallis identifies as she, “her lifeless identify is Jamie. Her present identify is Katie”. Wallis and the sufferer had been in a relationship for greater than 15 years and separated in 2020, with their divorce finalised in 2024.In a private impression assertion, Rebecca Lovell stated the messages left her “drowning in a chaos that was not of my very own making” and anxious that Wallis would flip up at her home. She stated she was left questioning if threats of suicide had been actual. “I torture myself questioning if I deserve the vile slurs,” she stated. She added, “I can not bear in mind a day I have not cried. The girl I was has been destroyed.” Narita Bahra KC advised the courtroom that her shopper was “having profound and emotional difficulties in finishing the passing stage” of transitioning to turn into a girl, however accepts that the behaviour was “mistaken”. Ms Bahra stated that Wallis was at a “essential turning level” within the transitioning course of and in “profound psychological disaster” when the messages had been despatched and that there was acceptance of wrongdoing and apology within the closing message.Shortly after the ultimate message was despatched, Wallis was discovered by police and sectioned underneath the psychological well being act earlier than being arrested and later charged.Ms Bahra advised the courtroom it was “actually disappointing that South Wales Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have proven no compassion” by pursuing a prosecution.She added it was “disillusioning and disappointing that South Wales Police and the CPS demonstrated a lack of know-how” to what she stated had been the “distinctive stresses” of transitioning.