Tuesday 1 September 1998

Transsexual’s jailing makes legal history

Legal history was made when a transsexual was sent to the female unit of a prison to serve a sentence for embezzlement.  Lawyer Alexandra MacRae was sentenced to 15 months at Dundee Sheriff Court.

Previously known as Stephen, MacRae is a former Scottish National Party candidate and rugby prop forward.

She underwent surgery in 1984, and is the first biological male in Britain to be jailed with women.

She will be held in Craiginches Prison in Aberdeen which houses mainly men but has a small women’s wing.

MacRae, 57, was sentenced after failing to repay 16,000 pounds embezzled from a client at her practice in Dundee two years ago.

The court heard that she faced physical danger irrespective of whether she served her time in a male or a female prison.

But Sheriff Brian Scoullar told MacRae that because of the seriousness of her crime there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.

MacRae had previously admitted embezzlement but sentence had been deferred to allow her time to repay the money.  However, she was declared bankrupt and lost a job working with a rights agency.

Copyright © 1998, The Shropshire Star