The trial of a woman accused of tricking her female friend into sex, while disguised as a man, was dramatically halted after the defendant suffered a panic attack.
The family of Gayle Newland, 25, rushed to her aid from the public gallery after she became increasingly distressed at Chester Crown Court today (Thursday, September 10).
Newland, of Hooton Road in Willaston, is alleged to have created the male online persona of Kye Fortune, tricked the complainant by making her wear a blindfold, and sexually assaulted her with a prosthetic penis.
She denies five counts of sexual assault, claiming the complainant knew from the beginning she was in a relationship with a female.
Matthew Corbett-Jones, prosecuting, pressed Newland on text and internet messages sent between the pair after the relationship broke down, on June 30, 2013.
A message from the complainant reads: “You have no explanation Gayle other than you are pure evil, worse than my ex. If I had not ripped off the mask I would not have known the evil truth.”
In reply Newland sent messages including: “I’m not evil though, otherwise I wouldn’t have felt guilty about what I have done every single day.”
Mr Corbett-Jones suggested Newland ‘manipulated’ the complainant and targeted her because she was ‘vulnerable’.
Newland replied: “She was not vulnerable. She is very street wise and that’s the last, last word I would use to describe her.”
Explaining the messages, she said: “I would have done anything to make her happy, even if it meant saying sorry for something that I had never done.”
She was pressed on other messages including: “I am so sorry, I said lies to hide lies.”
Becoming increasingly upset, Newland said: “I would have done anything to keep that girl. Yes I look stupid. It’s embarrassing I have my whole family to hear this, they are the nicest family in the whole world, they don’t deserve this. I have done nothing wrong.”
Earlier Mr Corbett-Jones highlighted discrepancies between a prepared statement, given to police, and her account in court.
She told the jury, under questioning from defence counsel Nigel Power QC, that she had never had bandages applied to her chest while in the company of the complainant.
However, in the statement, she said: “There was an occasion when the complainant applied bandages to the defendant’s chest. But she would have been aware that the defendant was a woman with breasts.”
Newland said they had ‘messed about’ once with bandages, which the complainant used on her feet.
Mr Corbett-Jones asked why she thought the complainant would have called the police on a woman she was supposedly in love with.
Newland replied: “I wish I knew, I cannot tell you why someone would do that, the only thing I can tell you is because she found it hard with her sexuality.
“None of what she said was the truth. I don’t think any of what she said to me was the truth, I don’t think she ever loved me.”
Newland described the allegations as ‘ridiculous’.
Cross-examination will resume tomorrow (Friday).
(Proceeding)
