Trans rapist Isla Bryson jailed for eight years
The judge said it was 'plain to see' Bryson posed a 'particularly significant risk to any woman with whom you form a relationship' during sentencing
A transgender rapist who raped two women has been jailed for eight years at the High Court in Edinburgh.
Isla Bryson, from Clydebank, was sentenced to eight years in prison with a further three years on licence.
During sentencing, Lord Scott noted it was "necessary to punish" Bryson and "to seek to deter you and others from behaving in this way".
He said: "Having considered the pattern of offending, the gravity of your crimes and the insights in the various reports, I consider that the question of how best to protect the public does arise.
"I am concerned to ensure that the public is adequately protected against serious harm from you when you are released from prison.
"It is plain that you present a particularly significant risk to any woman with whom you form a relationship."
The 31-year-old, was convicted last month of raping two women: one in Clydebank in 2016; and one in Drumchapel, Glasgow, in 2019; committing the offences before she transitioned.
Bryson met both the victims online, with prosecutors saying Bryson "preyed" on vulnerable women.
The case sparked an uproar after Bryson was initially housed in an all-female prison before being moved to the male estate following the outcry.
Scotland's Justice Secretary Keith Brown ordered an urgent review of the case and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) took the decision to halt the movement of all transgender prisoners with a history of violence against women into the female estate.
Bryson first appeared in court as Adam Graham in 2019 and was later named in court papers the following year - around the time of the decision to transition - as Isla Annie Bryson, formerly known as Adam Graham.
During the trial, the court heard Bryson was going through the breakdown of a brief, unhappy, marriage and went to stay with the first victim at the victim's mother's house in Clydebank, in 2016.
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Giving evidence on pre-recorded video, the victim, 30, said she was raped for half an hour.
"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."
The second victim, who gave evidence via live video-link, told the court Bryson continued to have sex with her after she said stop.
The victim's police statement said Bryson instead told her to "stay there" because "he [Bryson] wasn't finished".
The victim told the court: "I said to stop but he [Bryson] just kept on going, and that's when I just closed my eyes and I am doing what he wanted to do."
Giving evidence during the trial, Bryson claimed both women consented to having sex.
Bryson spoke of identifying as transgender at the age of four, but not making the decision to transition until the age of 29.
The court heard that Bryson is currently taking hormones and seeking surgery to complete gender reassignment.
As well as the sentence, which was backdated to January 24, and extended supervision, Bryson has also been placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.