Jamie Wallis was disqualified from driving for six months and fined £2,500. Wallis, who came out as transgender in March, told a court in Cardiff that he fled after crashing his Mercedes into a telegraph pole. He said he was wearing women’s clothes and feared that a group of locals who came to his aid were going to attack, kidnap or kill him. The Conservative MP for Bridgend in South Wales said the last time he wore women’s clothes he was raped in his London flat and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He said that after having his father pick him up after the crash and take him home, he took anti-anxiety medication and fell asleep without calling the police. Wallis denied the charges but Senior District Judge Tan Ikram, sitting at Cardiff Crown Court, said he did not find Wallis credible. Ikram said he believed Wallis tried to adjust his behavior around his PTSD symptoms, adding: “His actual behavior did not suggest he was overwhelmed or acting irrationally out of fear.” The judge said he was able to make decisions such as calling his father, going home, taking medication and locking his door. “He made the decision to leave the scene,” the judge said. “He could have hit 999 or 101. He didn’t. I’m sure he didn’t make a conscious choice not to get overwhelmed and act irrationally.” Ikram added that he was concerned that Wallis would still be driving if his PTSD was affecting him in the way he described, saying: “If your judgment is impaired, as your lawyer suggests, some may wonder why you are driving at all.” Wallis was due to see his estranged wife in the early hours of November 28, 2021, when he said a cat crossed his path and crashed in the village of Llanblethian, Vale of Glamorgan. Carina Hughes, prosecuting, said a group of friends were having a birthday party when shortly after 1am they heard a “very loud bang” or explosion. One of them, Adrian Watson, got out, looked into the interior of the crashed Mercedes E-Class and saw “a white male wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt, a black PVC leather mini skirt, tights, dark shoes and a pearl necklace ». Watson asked if she was okay and Wallis replied: “I’m sorting it out.” Watson said he told the driver he was going to call the police and Wallis started to drive away. He saw the man making phone calls. At one point he tripped over a bush before a Land Rover Discovery driven by Wallis’ father Daryl appeared and picked him up. The next morning, police went to Wallis’ home, where he lives in a self-contained apartment with other family members. Sergeant Gareth Handy described the house as “absolutely colossal”. Firearms officers were called to try and gain access to Wallis’ flat, but he was eventually found in another room, holding his mobile phone. In the witness box, Wallis said he was at home “wearing clothes that I felt most comfortable in, which I often do when I’m alone, which is women’s clothing.” Peter Rouch QC, defending, asked Wallis: “How long have you been feeling like this?” Wallis replied, “Since I was a little kid.” The MP said he would describe himself as transgender. Wallis said he was raped in September 2021. He told the court he had not made a formal complaint to police but was going to have an informal chat with officers. He continued: “It was deeply sad. I became obsessed with what happened, thinking about it all the time, having nightmares and flashbacks. I would wake up in the middle of the night thinking he was in my apartment. I was overly anxious and on high alert.” Wallis said he was diagnosed with PTSD and felt disoriented and confused after the crash. “I couldn’t see straight or think straight,” he said. “I think I got a concussion.” He said that when he saw people approaching him, he was “overwhelmed and overcome with a feeling of fear. I thought something very bad was going on. I remember feeling like I was going to be convicted or held or kidnapped.” Asked if he was going to report the crash, he said: “Absolutely … I fully intended to report the incident.” Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST A spokesman for the Conservative whip’s office said: “Jamie Wallis MP was found guilty of a number of offenses and it is right that he has been punished. We will not take further action and will continue to provide social support.” In March, Wallis, who was elected in 2019, became the first MP to come out as transgender and revealed he had been raped. He was acquitted of careless driving.
