Edinburgh labourer shouted abuse at transgender woman in Bonnington

Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Pic: Ian Georgeson

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A thug who shouted abuse at a transgender woman has been ordered to pay his victim compensation.

Graham Spiers was part of a group of males who shouted obscenities at the woman as she and a friend walked past a pub in Bonnington, Edinburgh.

Spiers, a father-of-two, screamed abuse as the woman made her way along the Capital’s Great Junction Street.

Spiers, 45, and his pals were also said to been “pointing and laughing” at the woman who was left distressed by the unprovoked verbal assault on her.

On Wednesday, a sheriff told Spiers there is “no place in today’s society” for the way he behaved and ordered him to pay the woman £500 in compensation as well as fining him.

Fiscal depute Rosie Cook told the Edinburgh Sheriff Court the woman and a friend were subjected to the abuse as they passed a pub in the Leith area at around 8.10pm on July 23, 2017.

Ms Cook said: “While walking they passed a pub and a group of males were pointing and laughing at the complainer.

“The complainer thought this was in reference to her gender transition.”

Ms Cook said the woman and her friend walked away from the confrontation and later contacted the police.

Spiers, who works as a labourer at the St James Centre construction site, was arrested and charged five days after the incident.

Solicitor Jennifer Cameron, defending, said her client had carried out “a very unpleasant incident” and that “a number of individuals were involved in this”.

Miss Cameron added Spiers, from Leith, now realises that his actions were “disturbing for the complainer” and that he had been drinking alcohol that afternoon.

Sheriff Robert Fife told Spiers: “Your offensive comments were not funny at the time and are not funny now.

“Your children should grow up understanding gender differences and would be ashamed at your behaviour that comes from a different era and has no place in today’s society.”

Sheriff Fife told Spiers to pay the woman £500 in compensation and also fined him £500.

Spiers admitted uttering abusive comments to a woman at Bonnington Road, Edinburgh, on July 23, 2017.

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