A group of teenagers stabbed, beat and robbed a transgender girl after luring her to a roller skate disco in a “sickening” ambush attack.
Summer Betts-Ramsey knifed the victim nine times in a horrifyingly violent attack organised by Bradley Harris, while several others joined in beating the girl, then aged 18. Another 17-year-old girl also robbed the victim, stealing her handbag while she was attacked.
The disturbing scenes unfolded at Harrow Leisure Centre, North West London, on February 10 last year, after the victim had performed a sex act on Betts-Ramsey’s friend, Bradley Harris, the Old Bailey heard. Harris, 18, began physically beating the girl in a twisted ambush, while Camron Osei, Shiloh Hindes and a 17-year-old boy also joined in.
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Summer Betts-Ramsey will spend four-and-a-half years in a young offenders’ institute
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Bradley Harris organised the attack after learning of the girl’s gender identity, the court heard
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The court heard Harris had discovered the girl was transgender after receiving oral sex from her, and in response he had shared a video of the act on Snapchat. He then recruited Betts-Ramsey and other friends to ambush the girl at the roller disco, where she was stabbed and ruthlessly beaten.
Luckily, the victim survived her injuries but was rushed to hospital. She later needed plastic surgery treatment for her injuries. In the sentencing on Thursday, the court heard Betts-Ramsey had been obsessed with knives and would have them delivered to the children’s home where she worked.
She proceeded to “gloat” in the aftermath of the attack, which a judge branded “shamelessly hateful and dehumanising”. Judge Philip Katz KC said: “She was kicked and punched to the ground, they then continued to punch her, and she was stabbed repeatedly.
“At the time of the attack she presented no threat to anyone, she did nothing to provoke the attack or to justify it in any way – unknown to [the victim] this was a planned and premeditated attack. Kicking and stamping on someone when they are defenceless on the ground is abhorrent, consistently we hear in these courts about attacks of this nature which have led to death.”
CCTV of the attack outside the leisure centre was described as ‘sickening’
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CCTV of the attack was described by the judge as “sickening to watch”. Deanna Heer KC, prosecuting, said: “This was a planned attack, motivated at least in part by her transgender identity. During the assault she was punched, kicked, stamped on and stabbed, and suffered nine stab wounds.”
The victim was lured to the roller disco after having been intimate with Harris two weeks earlier, with him having recorded it without her knowledge in a video call to a 17-year-old boy. When he was told about the girl’s gender identity, Harris had threatened her with a knife, forcing her to out herself.
Harris and his friends had planned the attack over Snapchat, as he left vile voice notes referring to the victim as “it”, saying he would “stamp on its head” and that someone “might even shank it”. It was heard how, on the afternoon of the attack, Betts-Ramsey had told a friend “I have to go to Harrow to beat up a f***ing tr***y”.
Betts-Ramsey admitted GBH with intent and possession of a knife and was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in youth detention, of which four-and-a-half must be served in custody. Hindes, Harris and Osei all admitted GBH and were jailed for three years in youth detention each.
A 17-year-old boy admitted GBH with intent and received an 18-month youth rehabilitation order, along with a no contact order, and three months of electronic monitoring. A 17-year-old girl who admitted robbery by taking the victim’s bag as she was being attacked was not part of the original group, the court heard. She was sentenced later on Thursday to a supervision order.
Camron Osei was also sentenced today
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Shiloh Hinds was part of the group that launched the attack
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In a harrowing statement, the victim told how she had become “depressed” and “constantly in fear of being assaulted again”. “When I close my eyes I replay the incident in my head and visualise the knife being used on me.
“I feel at times this is taking over my life. The incident has resulted in thick scars on my body which saddens me every time I see them – I feel like I am the one living a life sentence due to them.
“In the past I have experienced animosity towards me being transgender but I never thought anyone would have so much hatred for me and want to assault me in the way they did. I am worried due to the defendant’s ages they may receive low prison sentences and when released they may try and assault me again.”