Woman was ‘so scared’ during alleged Clydebank rape, High Court in Glasgow told

A woman has told a court she was “so scared” when she was allegedly raped by a man who now identifies as a transgender woman.

Isla Bryson is on trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of raping two women, one in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, in 2016 and one in Drumchapel, Glasgow, in 2019.

She is also accused of telling the alleged victim in 2016 to wash the sheets and threatening the woman’s family in an attempt to defeat the ends of justice.

She denies the charges and has lodged special defences claiming the sex was consensual.

She also denies a further charge of punching the second alleged victim.

The court heard in agreed evidence that Bryson now identifies as a transgender woman and was previously known by the “dead name” Adam Graham.

Giving evidence on pre-recorded video, one alleged victim, 30, said she was raped for half-an-hour while they were in bed at her mother’s home in Clydebank.

“All I said was ‘no’ over and over and over again,” she said.

“At the time I was so scared. Sick to the stomach. I just didn’t know what was going on.”

She said the accused later threatened her family with harm if she told anyone.

The witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said after the alleged rape they both fell asleep and did not speak until the morning as she was “scared”.

She denied they spoke about redecorating her mother’s kitchen immediately afterwards.

She also denied initiating sexual contact and kissing the accused goodnight following the alleged rape.

She said they spent the following day together and redecorated her mother’s kitchen.

The trial, before Judge Lord Scott, continues.