Five youths who lured a transgender woman to a roller disco before “viciously” stabbing and beating her in a revenge attack have been jailed. The then 18-year-old was stabbed nine times, punched, kicked and stamped on while transphobic slurs were shouted at her.
She is living with “thick scars” and still struggles to sleep after the incident. The woman only survived the attack in Harrow, north-west London, because passersby stepped in to help, the Old Bailey was told.
Members of the group later bragged about the February 10 assault and taunted their victim, posting footage of what they had done on social media.
His Honour Judge Philip Katz KC said the “abhorrent” attack had been motivated by a “distorted notion of revenge,” adding that it was at least in part linked to the woman’s gender identity.
Summer Betts-Ramsey, 20, who carried out the stabbing, was sentenced to eight and a half years in youth detention, of which, four and half must be served in custody.
Judge Katz told her she was a “dangerous offender” who posed a risk to the public. A crying woman stormed out of the public gallery as the sentence was delivered, shouting “I love you Summer” and “people get less for murder”.
Bradley Harris, Camron Osei, and Shiloh Hindes, all 18, were sentenced to three years in youth detention.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, was given a youth rehabilitation order. All members of the group admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent, while Betts-Ramsey also admitted possession of a knife.
A 17-year-old girl who was not part of the group or the planning, “joined in” with the attack before robbing the woman’s handbag, the court heard.
“The mean and callous” teenager was handed a supervision order. Handing down his sentence, Judge Katz said the woman had been “viciously assaulted”.
“She was punched to the ground and repeatedly kicked and stamped on,” he said. “Rather than help, all of those involved ran off.
“She suffered really serious physical and emotional injuries. Kicking and standing on someone when they are on the ground is abhorrent.”
Each member of the group “played a very significant role”, the judge said, adding that video footage of the attack was “sickening to watch”.
In January 2024, the woman was with Harris at his house when the pair kissed and she performed oral sex on him, the court heard. Soon afterwards, another friend told Harris that the woman was a “tranny”, prosecutor Deanna Heer KC said.
She denied it, but when Harris picked up a knife and said, “I’ll stab you if you lie”, she felt intimidated and admitted she was transgender before Harris told her to leave.
When Harris told the group she had lied to him, they turned on her, Ms Heer said.
On the day of the attack, the woman left her home, believing she was going to a roller-skating event with the group, the court heard.
Betts-Ramsey, from Barnet; Harris, from Harrow; Osei, from Tadworth, Surrey; Hindes, from Southwark; and the 17-year-old boy were all dressed in dark clothing, with masks and hoods, and were waiting for her at the bus stop.
Once at a nearby car park, she was “immediately attacked”, and she had no time to say anything or do anything to defend herself, the court was told.
As Betts-Ramsey was stabbing her, the others continued to attack her with kicks and punches for about 45 seconds before the group left the scene, the prosecutor said.
Members of the public helped the woman and an ambulance was called.
The group later bragged about the assault, posting footage on social media, Ms Heer said.
The 17-year-old boy sent the woman a message which said “Ur lookin sweet”, the court was told.
That night, a message was sent to Betts-Ramsey which said: “Stabbing a girl cus she’s trans… its disgusting”, to which Betts-Ramsey replied: “IT deserved it”.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman said she still has “thick scars” as a result of the attack.
The woman said she had suffered panic attacks since the incident and has struggled to sleep, adding that she fears she might not be able to work as a model thanks to her injuries.
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