Trans Tory MP Jamie Wallis pleads not guilty to ‘fleeing’ from car crash
Britain’s Conservative MP Jamie Wallis. (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has pleaded not guilty to a string of offences relating to a car crash.
Wallis, 37, was charged with failing to stop after a crash, failing to report a crash, leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position and driving without due care on 28 April.
The Tory MP, who recently came out as transgender, becoming Britain’s first openly trans MP, denied all charges appearing before Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (10 May).
He will now stand trial in July.
According to South Wales Police, failing to report a collision can result in a fine, penalty points, or up to six months in prison.
Police arrested Jamie Wallis in Llanblethian on suspicion of “driving whilst unfit” following a collision with a lamppost.
When Wallis came out as trans, on March 30, he referenced the car crash and his struggles with PTSD after being raped.
“When I crashed my car on the 28 November I fled the scene”, he wrote.
“I have PTSD and I honestly have no idea what I was doing except I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear.
“I am sorry that it appears I ‘ran away’ but this isn’t how it happened in the moment.”
He noted his life-long struggle with gender dysphoria, including a desire to transition ‘as quickly as possible.’ At the time of writing, Jamie Wallis still wishes to use he/him pronouns.
The MP also detailed a sexual assault by a man he arranged to “hook up” with in September 2021. The incident left Wallis feeling “powerless” after the man ignored his withdrawal of consent.
“I have not been myself since this incident and I don’t think I will ever recover,” Wallis said. “It is not something you ever forget, and it is not something you ever move on from.”
In an interview with Sky News, the MP for Bridgend spoke about the UK’s trans healthcare system. He also spoke out against the government’s decision to exclude gender identity from the conversion therapy ban.
Wallis was fined £270 and received three points on his licence in February this year after crossing a solid white line while driving on the A48 in August 2021.
