Sex-change arsonist sent to male jail despite saying he's a woman.
Byline: Elwyn RobertsA SEX-CHANGE arsonist was jailed for more than four and half years yesterday after torching a North Wales day centre.
Mold Crown Court was told former Deeside man Darren Bullock had endured a troubled life and was convinced he could find happiness as a woman.
However, he admitted setting light to a day care centre at the Plas Hyfryd rehabilitation centre, Carrog, near Corwen, causing pounds 36,000 worth of damage and leading to his third arson conviction.
Mr Bullock, who is still officially a man and is awaiting a sex-change operation, has been on hormone treatment for months.
At his request he was dealt with in court yesterday as a woman named Deborah Bullock. But he will be held at a male prison during the sentence.
The 32-year-old who was living at Plas Hyfryd - owned by the Mental Health Community Care Group - received three years for the latest arson attack.
It was claimed he set fire to the premises because he was angry at not being allowed out into the local community.
He was jailed for an additional 589 days because at the time he was still on licence from a six year jail term for arson, being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. He had set fire to a car in which his brother was sleeping.
Bullock was described as a danger to the public.
Judge Huw Daniel asked at the start of the hearing what he was to call the defendant because he was still officially a man and he would be going to a man's prison.
John Hedgecoe, defending, said until surgery took place that was the case.
``I am calling her Deborah because she has asked both my instructing solicitor and myself to do so,'' he said. The judge agreed in the circumstances the defendant should be referred to as Deborah Bullock.
Mr Hedgecoe said his client had a most appalling background and had been in care from an early age. After a terrible time as a child, Bullock had abused alcohol and then drugs and had also indulged in self harm.
``Her entire focus is on the future and having a sex change operation,'' said Mr Hedgecoe.
``She has been taking oestrogen since last October and she is looking forward to having the operation done. There is no doubt about it, she clearly thinks that is something that will make the important change in her life.''
It was hoped he would then be able to find the sort of stability and happiness that he had not found to date, Mr Hedgecoe said.
His client had been released on licence from the previous sentence and went to Carrog where he expected some form of supervision before being returned to the community, but he felt the supervision was too heavy. The court heard Bullock had an arson conviction at Hawarden juvenile court in 1985 and in March 1998 was jailed for six years at Chester Crown Court for arson, endangering life.
Anthony Jamieson, prosecuting, said the day centre was some 200 metres from the main building and on March 25 this year the defendant set fire to a book case and then walked into the village of Carrog.
He called a member of staff and said he had set a fire but would not say where.
Twenty minutes later he said he had started the fire in the Plas Hyfryd grounds and staff saw smoke billowing from the day centre.
Judge Daniel told Bullock: ``You know that I have to send you back to prison. That is the only way of dealing with you that would fulfil my public duty.''
The judge said he took into account Bullock's guilty plea, his sad background and how he had suffered over the years.
CAPTION(S):
GUILTY: Darren Bullock; Picture: ANDREW PRICE
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| Publication: | Daily Post (Liverpool, England) |
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| Date: | May 31, 2002 |
| Words: | 638 |
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