Six people have been sentenced for their part in a vicious transphobic attack investigated swiftly by Met detectives to bring those involved to justice. The victim has been left with deep scars following the horrific attack where she was stabbed nine times.
In an impact statement read to the court, the victim said, “In the past, I have experienced animosity towards me due to being transgender, but never thought that someone would have so much hatred for me and want to assault me in the way they did.”
She has bravely asked police to release CCTV footage of the attack to show what happened to her.
Police were called to Masons Avenue in Harrow at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, 10 February 2024, following reports of a teenager being robbed and seriously assaulted and stabbed. The 18-year-old was taken to hospital. Her injuries were not life-threatening, and she was discharged after treatment while receiving support from officers.
Early enquiries indicated that the assault was a transphobic hate crime, and officers within the Met’s North West Public Protection Unit immediately launched an investigation.
It was revealed that the victim was due to attend a roller skating event in Harrow but instead was lured to the venue and was ferociously attacked, having been subjected to transphobic abuse on a Snapchat group chat prior to the event.
The investigation swiftly saw arrests and then charges. Today, sentencing took place at the Old Bailey.
Summer Betts-Ramsey, 20, of no fixed address, was sentenced to eight years and six months and to spend four years and six months in custody with the remainder on license. She had previously pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.
Shiloh Hindes, 18, of no fixed address; Bradley Harris, 18, of Carmelite Road, Harrow; and Camron Osei, 18, of Kinlock Road, Tadworth, were each jailed for three years after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
A 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named, will be sentenced at a later date after pleading guilty to robbery and possession of cannabis. A 16-year-old boy, who also cannot be named, received an 18-month supervision order, having admitted grievous bodily harm with intent.
Detective Inspector Nicola Hannant, who led the investigation, said, “This was a horrendous and violent assault on a young woman, motivated by the fact she is transgender.
“Summer Betts-Ramsey and Bradley Harris orchestrated the attack, with Betts-Ramsey repeatedly stabbing the victim and the other members of the group punching, kicking and stamping on her head. The 17-year-old girl used the opportunity to rob the victim while she lay defenceless and being attacked on the ground.
“My team has worked relentlessly on this investigation and quickly identified those responsible by carrying out extensive CCTV enquiries and analysis of their social media profiles.
“This was a pre-meditated attack where the young people involved lured the victim to the venue, concealed their identities by wearing face coverings, discussed using weapons and, after the attack, made efforts to get rid of any evidence.
“It was incredibly fortunate for all those involved that the injuries caused were not more serious, as the level of violence used could have quite easily have resulted in the death of the victim. I hope that today’s sentence allows the victim, who has demonstrated extreme bravery throughout the investigation, to start moving forward with her life.”
In her impact statement, the victim said, “I now find it difficult to trust people, and it has deeply affected my friendship circle. I feel that I have become repressed and am always in fear when leaving my house. My attendance at college has dropped significantly, as I am constantly in fear of being assaulted again.
“I found it extremely difficult to sleep the first few weeks after the incident occurred and was constantly having nightmares. At times when I close my eyes, I replay the assault in my head and visualise the knife being used on me. I am unable to control this and I feel at times that this is taking over my life.
“This incident has resulted in me being left with thick scars on and around my body. It saddens me every time I see them and I feel like I am the one living a life sentence due to them. I am not living a normal life and I am not sure if my life would ever be the same again.
“In the past I have experienced animosity towards me due to being transgender, but never thought that someone would have so much hatred for me and want to assault me in the way they did.”
