Transgender woman left questioning whether to 'return to closet' after being called paedophile and other slurs by Portsmouth mum sentenced for abuse at court

Trans woman Ivy Burrows was left ‘scared’ and ‘distressed’ after receiving abusive messages from Chinzia Ogilvie, 43, on the social media platform on October 2.

Ogilvie, appearing for sentence at Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court with a badge on her jacket saying ‘transwomen are men’, previously admitted a charge of sending by public communication an offensive and obscene message.

The court heard the mum-of-two had sent ‘transphobic’ messages that ‘invited hate’ against Ms Burrows.

A row erupted between the two old foes who shared ‘diametrically opposed views’ on Twitter after the victim made a comment on the suffragette movement before tagging in Ogilvie.

Tim Sparkes, defending, said the ‘discussion point’ centred on Ms Burrows believing ‘transgenders should be allowed to use female facilities with the defendant taking the contrary view’.

Prosecutor Graham Heath said Ogilvie, of Samuel Road, Fratton, made offensive comments about the victim’s genitalia during the seven hour chat. ‘It made her feel disgusted, violated and degraded,’ he said.

The prosecutor said the victim was also called a paedophile during the ‘distressing’ exchange.

Ms Burrows, speaking of the impact, said: ‘I am a transgender woman and am scared of the consequences.’

She continued: ‘The comments about my genitalia were humiliating and degrading. It’s led to me being anxious and stopping me going out.’

Ms Burrows went on to say Ogilvie had ‘misgendered me’ during the exchange on the public platform seen by other people.

She added: ‘The anxiety the defendant has caused me has led me to rethink who I am and to think about returning to the closet.

‘Her harassment made it difficult for me to be out as a transgender woman in Portsmouth.’

The court was told by Ogilvie’s lawyer Mr Sparkes that the victim was a ‘political activist’ who had known the defendant for five years. ‘They have diametrically opposed views,’ he said.

‘They have set out on a number of occasions so it is not a new relationship or a new argument. Both put themselves out there in the public domain.’

The solicitor said Ms Burrows was the first person to use a derogatory word before Ogilvie responded and ‘lost her temper’.

Mr Sparkes added: ‘It is difficult to say Ivy is a vulnerable victim. She is not. She was part and parcel of the discourse.

‘If you are a person who starts up the conversation it is difficult to see how you exhibit vulnerabilities.’

District judge David Robinson told Ogilvie her transgender views were not criminal but her ‘behaviour became criminal’ with the offensive messages ‘demonstrating hostility’ to transgender identification.

‘The comments seen by Ivy and others left her humiliated and degraded and sought to sexualise her and suggest she was a paedophile,’ he added.

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Ogilvie was given a one-year community order with 120 hours of unpaid word and 15 rehabilitation days.

She was also told to cough up £300 compensation, pay a surcharge of £95 and costs of £85.

Ogilvie was slapped with a restraining order not to contact the victim for 12 months.

Asked what she thought of the sentence outside court, Ogilvie made her feelings clear after shouting a profanity.